West Bloomfield Residents Will Pay Higher Water and Sewer Rates

West Bloomfield residents who noticed an increase in their water bills this week may have attributed it to hot weather and insufficient rainfall.

In addition to seasonal conditions, there is another reason for the higher numbers: a townshipwide water and sewerage rate increase, approved by the Board of Trustees following a public hearing at

According to West Bloomfield Water and Sewer Department Director Ed Haapala, the rate hike, which became effective July 1 for water usage in April, May and June, was necessitated by an increase in charges from the city of Detroit and Oakland County.

The township board voted unanimously to approve an increase of 5.97 percent for water and 5.47 percent for sewer rates, based on increases of 11.4 percent from the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD), which supplies water to the township, and 9.75 percent from the Oakland County Water Resources Commission, which provides sewerage services.

About half of the actual rate increase is being passed on to the residents; the rest has been absorbed by the township. Haapala estimates that the effect of the new rate on an average quarterly bill of $250 will be about $14.25.

The increase is based on a rise in the cost of water from $36.37 per Mcf (thousand cubic feet) to $38.54 per Mcf; a sanitary sewer rate increase from $25.43 per Mcf to $26.82 per Mcf; and a per-quarter, sewer-only increase from $99.19 to $104.59.

At the June meeting, West Bloomfield Supervisor Michele Economou Ureste praised Haapala for the low water loss rate of 2.42 percent, especially compared to the late 1990s, when the loss rate hovered around 15 percent to 18 percent.

Joseph Heffernan of Plante & Moran, which provides municipal auditing services for West Bloomfield, told board members in June that he felt the increase was sufficient based on the low water loss rate and the long-term schedule outlined by Haapala for maintaining the township’s aging water and sewer infrastructure.

Haapala said he would like to keep 15 percent of the funds received from the recent increase in the township Capital Improvement and Replacement Fund to provide for repairs or new equipment, including the possibility of a new storage tank reservoir.

When asked about her reaction to the new rate, West Bloomfield resident Karen Farmer responded, “Another raise? I thought they already raised the rates. What’s going on here?"

According to a newsletter article by Haapala on the West Bloomfield Township website, the perceived cost of water and sewer services may appear higher than other utilities because the bills are sent quarterly instead of monthly. The article also said tap water costs about $0.038 per gallon, compared with bottled water, which ranges from $1.16 to $8.00 per gallon.

The last water and sewer rate increase in West Bloomfield took effect July 1, 2010, when water and sewer rates were increased by 3.4 percent and 3.7 percent, respectively. As it did this year, the township absorbed more than half of the cost increase levied by the city of Detroit and Oakland County.