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Commissioners press for clarity on water, sewer rates and long‑term infrastructure costs
Summary
The commission discussed rising water and sewer charges tied to aging infrastructure and pass‑through rates from regional providers. Staff said a rate‑study and options to shift from volume to more fixed charges will be on upcoming agendas; commissioners asked for comparative cost modeling and clearer allocation of street restoration costs after utility work.
Rising utility costs and the long horizon of water and sewer infrastructure dominated questioning at the April 25 budget hearing.
Engineering and DPS staff described the city’s water purchase and sewer treatment chain: Birmingham buys wholesale water through SAW A (which itself buys from the Great Lakes Water Authority), and the city pays sewer and drainage charges to the county’s water‑resource entities. Several commissioners and…
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