City of Kalamazoo water customers will pay a bit extra for that service starting next year. On Monday commissioners agreed to increase water service fees and the per-gallon price of city water by eight percent. Under the new rate the average one-family household in the city will pay about $1 per month extra.
The city says it needs the additional money to ensure that it can deliver safe drinking water over the long term.
Commissioner David Anderson notes that the city will probably seek to raise water rates again in the next couple of years.
“But keep it in mind that the rates here in this area are still significantly lower than most other places even in Michigan and that we continue to offer a very good water and wastewater system for the money that we pay,” Anderson told the commission on Monday.
Commissioner Jack Urban says people who doubt the increase should see the piece of old city water pipe at public works.
“It’s basically a chunk of hollowed-out tree trunk. And if there wasn’t any investment in upgrading the system and keeping it reliable, we’d still be depending on things like that,” Urban says.
The new rate for Kalamazoo city water service take effect next month.
