Northville Residents to Pay More for Water in 2013

This year the City of Northville exceeded its maximum hour water flow rate set in its contract with the City of Detroit, according to city council members on Monday. 

To correct this, the city will need to:

1. Change the current control system 
2. Replace a supply valve
3. Require outdoor water use restrictions via a new ordinance
4. Retain an engineering firm to monitor and adjust the city’s controls during peak water usage days during the summer months

Council approved the proposed amendment with these recommendations to its water contract with the City of Detroit. The total cost for this is estimated to be $80,000, said Jim Gallogly, director of public works.

Because the city exceeded the contract amount, the peak hourly capacity has to be adjusted to the highest pumping rate recorded in 2012, he said.

He said they were able to negotiate that down but there will still be an increase from 2012.

"Rates are going up for the next year about $100,000," Gallogly said.

The City of Northville’s current hourly rate is 1.75 million gallons daily. That will need to be increased to 2.15 million gallons daily. 

Gallogly said the city will develop an ordinance for enforcing water use restrictions. But he said 12 a.m. to 5 a.m. is a time when the city can get all of the water they want and is also when the water tower is filled.

"We'll be pulling water at noon as part of new system controls," he said.

That means the city will take water into its reservoir midday because that is a time when there's less demand on the Detroit system.

If the city makes the recommended changes to its water system by spring and can demonstrate that Northville’s peak usage has been reduced and can be maintained at a level at or under 1.75 million gallons daily by fall, the Detroit Water and Sewage Department will agree to lower the contract peak hourly rate to the lower number. 

Read about Northville City Council's decision to approve a traffic control order on the Garage Grill & Fuel Bar.

Read about Northville City Council's decision to award a three-year contract for emergency medical services.