Annie Brown

Shawsa Rate And Fee Information Meeting

This meeting was convened to address the community regarding the current structure of water and sewer rates and fees for the South Haven area. Key discussion points included the significant ongoing investments in water and wastewater infrastructure, many of which are required by the State of Michigan, such as the replacement of an old storage tank and a systemwide lead service line replacement project. The presentation provided historical context on the infrastructure dating back to the 1890s, the formation of the Water and Sewage Treatment Authority (SHASA) in the 1980s, and the 2011 construction of the current water filtration plant. The discussion emphasized that SHASA operates on a cost-of-service model, not a profit model, and that current rates reflect existing debt obligations from prior generations of investment, which totals approximately $30 million from before SHASA's formation, in addition to $22 million in new debt related to current projects. The authority has adopted a five-year rate stability plan, with recent increases approved, and forecast further increases due to wastewater treatment plant needs. The presentation also detailed the service area, noting the lack of a major industrial customer, which spreads costs across residential accounts serving a peak population of 70,000 people.

Extracted from official board minutes, strategic plans, and video transcripts.