PORTAGE, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – The Portage city council has tentatively approved higher water and sewer rates beginning July 1st.
Councilmember Terry Urban says the 8.5% sewer rate hike is due to the management at Kalamazoo’s wastewater plant where all of Portage’s sewage goes.
“There are challenges in dealing with treated sewage, sludge that’s left over as well as modernizing the plant and those costs are passed on to the city,” Urban says.
Urban says Portage has its own water system, and one of the reasons for the 5% hike in water rates is that the city may soon be called upon to upgrade their system to address high iron content in the water.
“And perhaps others aren’t gonna be happy I’m saying this, but we’re saving up some funds for an anticipated $23 million build in the future.”
The council also scheduled a final vote on the city budget, which includes the water utility rate hikes, for their next meeting on May 27th.
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