Highland Park Residents Protest GLWA Over Sewer Fee Adjustment

Highland Park residents traveled to downtown Detroit on Wednesday, bringing chants of sewer justice and a demand for a $1.5 million adjustment in sewer fees directly to the headquarters of the Great Lakes Water Authority.

Protestors chanted “GLWA owes Highland Park,” “stop overbilling,” and “charge us fairly” during the protest. The Detroit enclave of 8,248 people argues it is currently charged 2.065 percent of the region’s $80 million in annual combined sewer overflow costs, a figure the city maintains is ten times its actual measured flow of 0.21 percent.

The 1999 Formula and a Shifting Population

At the heart of the dispute is a cost allocation methodology that dates back to a 1999 rate settlement agreement. GLWA General Counsel Phyllis Hurks stated in an Oct. 15 statement that the regional authority is strictly adhering to the terms of the 2024 agreements, which govern wastewater disposal services and CSO allocations.

Highland Park contends that the 1999 formula relies on outdated population data and impervious area calculations that no longer reflect reality. U.S. Census data shows the city’s population has dropped by half since the agreement: 16,746 people lived in the city in 2000. Highland Park’s population is 82.3 percent Black, according to the latest U.S. Census estimates.

The city’s poverty rate sits at 40.9 percent. Master water and sewer meters installed as part of a 2024 settlement agreement—which also brought $70 million in state infrastructure funding—now provide the wet weather volume data that local leaders say proves the overcharges.

Residents and Candidates Push for Relief

Protesters filled the plaza with megaphones and signs during the GLWA Board of Directors meeting. Mayor Glenda McDonald joined the demonstration, pointing to the cumulative financial strain on local households. “We’re looking to try to get them to bring down these rates, because our citizens of Highland Park are suffering here,” Mayor McDonald said, adding that the utility is charging the city three to four times the amount charged to other small cities of a similar population size. Charlene Turner Johnson, an organizer with Highland Park Water Advocates, called the city the smallest user in the system and noted it is paying more than larger users.

“You already have high food, high DTE, high gas and now we’re adding high water rates. These people can’t survive it. They just can’t,” Mayor McDonald said, as reported by wxyz.com.

Highland Park Residents Protest GLWA Over Sewer Fee Adjustment — Photo: fox2detroit.com

fox2detroit.com reported that Michigan State Senator John Conyers III also attended the protest to support local relief efforts. “I hope that GLWA understands that we are not going to go quietly into the night,” Conyers said, adding that residents want to see why they owe the money and what all the charges are. Local candidates also joined the demonstration, including Darthanian Nichols, a write-in candidate for city clerk who stated, “We’re only asking them to be fair. “Our citizens deserve fair treatment,” said Darthanian Nichols, noting that residents have been raising concerns. Darthanian Nichols, running as a write-in candidate for city clerk, said the meters show the city has been overbilled for a significant amount of time, and also spoke out regarding senior citizens on fixed incomes.”

For longtime residents, the high bills carry severe stakes. Resident Cidia Wicker-Brown told reporters about the constant anxiety of facing water bills attached to property taxes, which threatens homeownership.

Arbitration Looms Over Unresolved Demands

GLWA maintains that an adjustment for fiscal year 2026 is not appropriate under the current legal framework. The utility formed a CSO Cost Pool Task Force that met between March and July to review the methodology, but the group ultimately failed to reach a consensus.

Because technical talks broke down without agreement, both parties have agreed to send the dispute to arbitration. While GLWA looks forward to a final resolution through that legal forum, Highland Park advocates continue to press for immediate accountability and financial adjustments.