Residents of Grand Rapids Could See A Higher Water Bill in 2025

It feels like the costs of everything are rising. We’re paying at the pump, at the grocery store, even our little luxuries are feeling more bougie as the prices rise. And now, we’re possibly seeing a rise in our water bills soon, too.

Grand Rapids residents may soon see higher water and sewer bills.It is considering raising water rates by 4.34% and sewer rates by 2.15%. To give you an idea, the average Grand Rapids household will likely see a little over 3% increase in their quarterly bill if this passes. While it's not a ton of money, to those on a fixed budget, it will mean a change in how they approach this cost.

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But- it's not just a rate hike just to do so. This extra money will help pay for maintaining and upgrading the city’s old water system, which you. may not be aware- some parts of which are over 100 years old. And while they are built to last a while, we are due to replace parts of the system before they fail and cause a water main emergency similar to the one that happened in June, in the southeast side of the city.

The city’s water network is massive, with 1,300 miles of pipes delivering water to homes and businesses. Keeping this system running smoothly isn’t cheap, and officials say the increase is needed to avoid problems down the road. If approved, the higher rates would start next year.

City leaders want to make sure the water system stays reliable for everyone. While it might not be great news for your wallet in the short term, the plan is to use those extra funds to keep your water flowing and your taps running for the long run- and that’s an investment worth making.

The final decision will be made during a city council meeting on December 17th, and if you want more details you can find them on the city's website.