For the 250,000 customers who pay for water coming out of Lake Huron, your rates will be going up.
However, officials from Genesee County, Lapeer County, and Sanilac County have a plan to reduce the cost over time.
"It's really all about the money," says Genesee County Drain Commissioner Jeff Wright. He says in 2001 Flint and Genesee County paid $12-million for water from the Detroit-owned pipe from Lake Huron.
In 2009, that cost doubled to $24-million.
"Using Detroit's own numbers, it's going to double again in the next eight to nine years to $50-million," says Wright.
Local officials say they can build their own water pipe to Lake Huron cheaper.
In mid-October, the Karegnondi Water Authority, which means "lake" in Petan Indian, elected board members to represent its water customers.
Here's the list of non-voting and voting members representing the City of Flint, Genesee County, City of Lapeer, Lapeer County, and Sanilac County:
Non-voting members
CEO Jeff Wright
Treasurer Delrico Lloyd
Secretary Amy Planck
Voting members
Chairman Dayne Walling
Vice Chair Greg Alexander
John Cosens
Dale Kerbyson
Jamie Curtis
The new pipe would cost $330-million dollars. New infrastructures would require an additinoal $600-million+.
Wright says, "There are no new taxes involved. There are no new millages involved. Only the people on the water system pay for this project. When the bond debt is paid off in 25 years, we can reduce the cost by as much as 60% to 65%."
Wright says the average Detroit water customer in Flint and Genesee County pays $33 to $35 a month now. He says, in 5-years, those customers could be paying $70 a month. However, he says by building a new pipeline, that amount would be $40 a month.
The Detroit Water and Sewage Department says the numbers are being skewed and that it would cost customers more if a new water pipe is installed.
The Karegnondi Water Authority will meet in the next nine to 12 months to decide if it'll build the water pipe.
If approved, construction would take three to four years.
