Detroit Drainage Fees Are Hitting Residents Hard

The city says the increased fees that many people are seeing reflect a more equitable billing system, but residents argue the charges are unfair.

1 minute read

March 22, 2019, 6:00 AM PDT

By Camille Fink


Rain On Pavement

Creative Commons Zero - CC0 / Max Pixel

Detroit water and sewer bills have risen quickly since the city rolled out a new drainage fee structure last year. In the past, residents paid a flat rate, and businesses were supposed to be charged based on the size of their water pipes or the "impervious acreage"—the area on the property covered with materials that prevent the absorption of water. The result, reports Joel Kurth, was that rates varied considerably and owners of large parcels often had lower drainage bills.

Now property owners pay $598 per impervious acre, and many have seen their monthly bills increase dramatically. They say the fees are unfair, particularly in a city with high tax rates and poverty levels. Questions have also arisen about whether the new charges are a fee or a tax. A tax, residents say, would require voter approval under Michigan state law.

"Detroit officials say the rates are fair, lowering fees for 56 percent of all residents and equitably spreading the cost of treating wastewater," says Kurth. But the city has also spent $1 billion in recent years to update its wastewater treatment facilities. The projected $150 million a year the new drain fees will bring in will help the city repay these infrastructure costs.

Monday, March 4, 2019 in Bridge

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Crowds of people walking and biking along waterfront in Sunset Dunes Park in San Francisco, California on a sunny day.

San Francisco Opens Park on Former Great Highway

The Sunset Dunes park’s grand opening attracted both fans and detractors.

4 hours ago - Mission Local

Portland Oregon Bus

Oregon Legislature to Consider Transit Funding Laws

One proposal would increase the state’s payroll tax by .08% to fund transit agencies and expand service.

5 hours ago - KATU.com

Houston, Texas skyline.

Housing Vouchers as a Key Piece of Houston’s Housing Strategy

The Houston Housing Authority supports 19,000 households through the housing voucher program.

6 hours ago - Urban Edge