Great Lakes Water Authority Officially Takes Over Operations
New authority will allow Detroit to upgrade infrastructure over time
As of January 1, 2016 the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department and seven counties in SE Michigan officially merged operations to the Great Lakes Water Authority. The new organization is providing wholesale water to customers in those counties. Officials say the 50 million dollar lease agreement that is part of the deal will allow the City of Detroit to make improvements to the systems infrastructure. Stephen Henderson speaks with Sue McCormick; CEO of Great Lakes Water Authority and Palencia Mobley; Deputy Director and Chief Engineer of DWSD.
The conversation covers topics including how the GLWA Board of Directors is comprised, questions about whether Detroiter’s might face the same problems with lead leeching from pipes as Flint residents, how low-income residents will pay their bills, and which part of the systems infrastructure might be addressed first.
To hear the entire conversation, click on the audio player above
