Detroit at $750 an Impervious Acre, How to Figure Out Your Monthly Water Rate

By Richard C. Clement

Debugging the new water rates in the City of Detroit takes a definition of what Impervious Surfaces are. Wikipedia defines it as:

“Impervious surfaces are areas of the earth that have been covered by any material that impedes the infiltration of water into the soil. Areas of land covered by pavement or buildings are impervious to rain water. Concrete, asphalt, rooftops and even severely compacted areas of soil are considered impervious.”

Lake St. Clair

Unlocking the mystery of how much my new monthly water bill is can be solved by clicking this website link   www.detroitmi.gov/drainage  to access the City of Detroit Website article under impervious acers.  When you get there, enter your property address.  When your property is found, wait 10 seconds and double click on the picture inside the property line..  To calculate your new monthly water rate, multiply the impervious surface acre percentage times $750. The answer will equal you monthly rate.  If you are disputing the calculated amount, then you are encouraged to click here to fill out your drainage survey form and send it in to DWSD.

Direct Website Link to Impervious Acre Percent Map for Detroit

Eventually. a large combined sewer separation project will have to be undertaken like other cities have done in Michigan (Lansing Michigan Combined Sewer Separation Project) because of climate change in our world.

We hope this helps clear the confusion on the new rates.

Delinquent Water Bills

The Detroit Water & Sewerage Department has a policy of shutting off water service when bills are 45 days past due, but the majority of residential balances are over six months old.

Roughly $1 million of the biggest delinquent water bills belong to:

City of Detroit Public Fold Course at Palmer Park (owes $422,295)
VA Hospital (owes $131,096.28)
Joe Louis Arena(owes $80,255.25)
Apartment Building on W.Chicago (owes $71,621.87)
Eastern Market (owes $60,911)
Ford Field (owes $55,803)
Abandoned Homes (owes $47,075.09)
Properties on Coyle (owes $41,200.10)

In addition to these delinquencies, more than $20 million is past due on commercial and industrial accounts. Detroit Public Schools is responsible for about 20% of that figure; they owe $3.8 million.
According to the emergency manger, Kevyn Orr, Detroit was losing an average of 24,000 residents a year between 2000 and 2010. Consequently, many of these previously lived in homes are now vacant. Abandoned properties account for nearly 20% of houses in the city of Detroit, so it is very possible that thousands of accounts represent tenant free homes.

As a resident of the City of Detroit if you cannot afford to pay your water and sewer bill, the Detroit Residential Water Assistance Program (DRWAP)may be of service. To qualify for financial assistance, customers need to:
be a Detroit resident
be faced with shut off or pending shut off of their water or sewer service
be at or below 200-percent of current Federal Government Poverty Levels
need to be living in a single-family dwelling and responsible for paying their water bill on a monthly basis

Please contact the DHS Community Service Center in your area for more information on this program.