Kalamazoo residents to face water and wastewater rate hike in 2024 - WWMT-TV
Kalamazoo residents to face water and wastewater rate hike in 2024 | WWMT
Kalamazoo residents could soon see a bigger bill for their water.
Kalamazoo Public Services Director James Baker announced Monday night that they are planning on increasing the water and wastewater rates in 2024.
"Total impact for combined water and sewer bill together for city customers you're looking at $4.93 so less than $5 a month increase," Baker said. "And township customers about $5.93 for everything all together."
The new rates are due to a 6% increase in water prices for residents and 12% increase in wastewater, according to Baker.
A similar increase is expected in the following year to support the increase in services, Baker said.
Enhancements to Kalamazoo's utilities include new wastewater filtering technology, more than 1,600 proposed lead service line replacements throughout the city, and water main replacements on several roadways, Baker said.
A new water affordability program will be offered to its residents, which can help those who need financial help.
Related Knowledge Center: ENERGY BASICS: hydropower
Hydropower — electricity generated by turbines capturing energy from moving water — was for many years the primary contributor of renewable energy to the U.S. electricity grid. Its growth was rapid into the 1970s, and since then has offered a stable supply of power, while a declining share of all generation. For many years, hydropower was seen as clean energy and an unalloyed good, but a greater understanding of the impact of dams on ecosystems and wildlife has led to the removal of some dams. As of 2019, hydropower trails wind as a renewable source of power generation.