Fort Gratiot residents will see a slight increase in their water and sewer rates next year — something officials said helps keep the township equipped to manage its infrastructure.
Water rates will increase from $31.60 to $33 per 1,000 cubic feet and sewer rates will go from $26.25 to $28. Those changes, which were approved by the township board last week, take effect in 2018.
Supervisor Jorja Baldwin said it’s typical for rates to increase “by a percent or two almost every year.”
“So we’re not hitting people all of a sudden, or (it won’t be that) we don’t have a fund to pull from if there’s that big emergency,” she said. “… We tend to evaluate once a year to make sure they’re in line.”
Reviewing water and sewer rate, Baldwin said, is part of the township’s asset management plan required by the township's state-funded Stormwater, Asset Management and Wastewater program.
A year ago, the township received more than $827,600 in SAW grant funding. Baldwin said the money would help the township plan upgrades to avoid problems.
Township Clerk Rob Crawford said the money paid for video inspections of 195,000 feet of sewer mains.
Water and sewer charges include a capital charge to finance future maintenance needs.
Money was borrowed in early 2017 to demolish and reconstruct two major sanitary lift stations. Crawford said the township helps pay for improvements at other facilities they don’t own but benefit from.
Crawford said was spending $70,000 for improvements at Port Huron’s sewage treatment plant, where the township is responsible for 13 percent of its capacity and upkeep.
Crawford said the year’s bill for bulk water purchases from the city was $1.3 million and $872,000 for sewage treatment. It’s not all just obvious repairs for service, he said, as “you do have other expenses for labor, wages, insurance (and) operating costs.”
More information on Fort Gratiot utility rates can be found at https://fortgratiottwp.org/public-works.
Contact Jackie Smith at (810) 989-6270 or jssmith@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @Jackie20Smith.