It isn’t hard to find people in Highland Park upset about their water bill.
“It’s normally been like $50. But for the past year and a half, it’s jumped to $100,” resident Darrin Hill said.
It’s been a longstanding issue in this city.
Rochelle Campbell, who lives across the street from Hill, said it’s hard to prepare for the bill.
“How can you budget if you never know what the bill is going to be? You don’t know when the price is going to go up. The price is astronomical,” she said.
The Highland Park City Council approved moving forward with plans to replace the city’s aging water meters with advanced digital models on Monday (Nov. 18).
Highland Park officials believe the city is overpaying for water.
“They are telling us if they put these new meters in, it is going to lower the bills. But what is the guarantee? And how long will it be lowered for you to say we owe something else. So, it’s very frustrating,” Campbell said.
The water meter project is part of the agreement with the Great Lakes Water Authority and the state of Michigan.
The state will cover the costs.
Highland Park began exploring updating water meters ten years ago.
“You are doing a lot of talking, that’s all I see. Everybody’s talking. Nobody’s doing anything,” Hill said.
City Council member Khursheed Ash-Shafii understands why residents are frustrated and skeptical.
“Enough with the stalling, let’s get the meters in the ground. I have residents calling me every day complaining about their rising water bills,” said Ash-Shafii.