By Sara L. Smith
VIEW Staff Writer
GRAND BLANC TWP. — Township residents will soon see a steep increase in their water bills, but officials want to delay the price hike for residents during this summer’s heavy water consumption season.
The City of Detroit will raise water rates to the City of Flint and Genesee County, which in turn, is expected to pass on that rate hike, plus administrative costs, to the township this summer, equaling huge water bills for many residents.

However, officials are looking at alternatives in an effort to stave off the rate increase to its customers until after the heavy water usage months of June-August are over.

A rate hike of 16.4 percent is expected for residents, following a 15.9 percent rate increase from Detroit to Flint and Genesee County, which will charge the township a higher rate to cover its administrative costs. The township does not plan to pass any additional administrative costs on to its customers.

While officials were hoping to delay its own billing to its water customers during the next three months — a period of high usage due to lawn sprinklers and water irrigation systems — that plan isn’t feasible since the township would be forced to absorb approximately $175,000 in water fees from the county during this period.

“We’ve been talking with the Genesee County Drain Commissioner’s office about possibly delaying the rate increase to us until after the summer,” said Clerk Linda Kingston. “We want to delay the rate hike because it’s the worst time of the year to be hit with a rate hike.”

Officials have been speaking with Genesee County Drain Commissioner Jeff Wright about the proposal over the past week, and all indications are good that the township will be able to postpone paying the increased rate to the county until fall. Residents would then continue to pay the current water rates until after the summer season is past.

“It makes sense if we can delay some of the costs to our residents for awhile,” said Kingston. “With food and gas prices continually rising, it would cripple our residents to have the rate hike right now.”

So far, discussions with Wright’s office that the township will be able to avoid the expected rate hike until fall are looking good. Township Supervisor Jeffrey A. Zittel spoke with Wright this past week in an effort to come to an agreement regarding this issue.

Grand Blanc Township currently bills its residents tri-monthly for water and sewer rates.

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