KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — A 5% rate increase for drinking water could soon be coming to people who rely on the city of Kalamazoo for the utility.

It’s part of the proposed rate increase presented to the Kalamazoo City Commission in recent meetings.

Public Service Director James Baker said the rate comes amid major upgrades to the system from replacing nearly 100-year-old cast iron water mains to replacing 10,000 lead service lines in the city by 2037.

“These are standalone financial systems. It’s under the operation and ownership of the city, but due to the fact that we serve over 22 communities in wastewater and over 11 communities in water, these utilities have to be 100% self-sufficient,” said Baker. 

The water rate increase will be accompanied by a 12% increase in wastewater when the proposed ordinance comes to a final vote in December. A similar increase was approved last year at 6% for water and 12% for wastewater. In 2022, rates jumped by 20%. Baker said the city has some of the lowest rates around the state.

“Overall, we see that from 2017 all the way through now, 2024, we’re still around neck and neck with those same three communities and we anticipate that’s going to happen into the future,” Baker said.

With an average of 120 water main breaks happening per year, Baker said the final goal is to have a system that is ready for anything, whether that’s extreme cold or the typical summer thunderstorm.

“We’ve got a system, we want it to work and we want it to work reliably and we want it to work in a way that doesn’t impact and impair and cause a bad experience for the public,” Baker said.

The proposed water rate increase ordinance will go through a second reading after its introduction Monday night. It will be voted on along with a wastewater rate increase during the Kalamazoo City Commission meeting on Dec. 2. If passed, the rates go into effect in January.