Water Rates and Billing

Canton Township purchases its water from the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD). The DWSD operates the largest water system in the State of Michigan and supplies water to roughly four million people. The primary water sources are Lake Huron and the Detroit River.

Raw water, that eventually makes it way to Canton, is drawn from a deep intake near Belle Isle, then filtered and treated at the Springwells water treatment plant in Detroit. DWSD then pumps the water 128 feet uphill to Canton and our neighboring communities using huge pumps and large diameter transmission lines.

The water rates set by DWSD are based on an annual forecast determined by historical data for water usage and estimated costs for water production and delivery services. DWSD uses the forecast to set a rate for each of its customers. By law, DWSD can only recover the cost of service, it cannot make a profit. If more water is sold than forecasted, the extra funds received must be used for the system and offset the need to increase wholesale water rates in the future.

The water rate formula that DWSD uses has three primary components:

1. Usage or demand by each community
2. The distance from water treatment plants
3. The elevation of the community relative to the treatment plants. These factors vary greatly in a service area as large as DWSD’s. All customers’ wholesale rates (i.e. the rate Canton pays to DWSD to buy water) are set by this formula.

In addition to the cost to purchase water from DWSD, Canton has costs to operate, maintain and replace the 380 miles of local water distribution system piping. Canton also has fixed costs to cover such as administration, water billing staff, meter reading and meter replacements.

The annual revenue requirements of the water system must be sufficient to cover both our costs and DWSD costs. The annual water rate increase needs to be passed through to the end customer, the Canton Township water and sewer user, in order that the water funds remain financially stable year-to-year.

The revenue generating capacity of DWSD is somewhat dependent upon the weather. Hot, dry weather generally results in more water sales to the suburban wholesale customers that produce extra revenue to be used by DWSD in a future year. Cool, damp weather can have the opposite effect, generally resulting in an annual revenue shortfall. In addition, there are costs involved in operating and maintaining existing system facilities and capital improvement programs necessary to meet existing and future customer demands.

DWSD charges Canton $2.31 per thousand gallons of water used. The consumption charge to our customers is $2.87 per thousand gallons. As such, the DWSD cost is roughly 80% of the total consumption charged.

The rates are approved annually by the Township Board with an ordinance amendment, based on staff recommendations.

In addition to the fixed charges on the customer’s bill, the current rates for water/sewer usage can be found here:


Residences with footing drains tied to the sanitary sewer system pay a slightly higher fixed charge to offset the increased usage of the sanitary sewer system during rain events.

Water and sewer rates are computed separately based on the true cost-of-service.

Sewage treatment costs are based on the operation, maintenance and replacement of the sewage treatment plants & the sanitary sewer collection system necessary to get the sanitary sewage flow to the plants. Unlike water purchased, the sewage flows are not metered for each community, but DWSD and YCUA does meter the total incoming sewage flow at the treatment plants.

The most commonly used system is to distribute the costs amongst the communities for sewage treated based upon the water volume purchased as adjusted for several factors: deductions for water only customers (i.e. has a septic tank), industrial process water exemptions, and adding sewer only customers (i.e. has a well).

The cost to operate, maintain and replace the sanitary sewer collection & treatment system is almost always higher than the public water system. This is the case for Canton.

A residential water meter is read once each quarter. This reading is obtained from outside the home by one of three methods: numeric remote, touchpad or radio read unit. The touchpad and radio read devices are able to electronically transmit a meter reading outside the building identical to that of the inside water meter. The older style numeric remote is also wired to the meter but becomes defective due to age, weather conditions or insects inside the hardware causing damage to the wiring. In this type of system, there can be a difference between the “inside” meter reading and the “outside” remote. If you have this type of system, it is important to make sure your inside and outside readings agree. The inside meter registers the correct reading and you are responsible for any discrepancy. If you notice a variance, or are aware that your home still has the old style meter, please contact the Water Billing staff in the Treasurer’s Office at 734/394-5240 and schedule an appointment to update the meter. There are no charges for this service.

The typical useful life cycle of a water meter is 10 to 15 years. After this time, the meter may develop problems providing accurate readings. We are currently upgrading our meters in the older areas of the township.

Canton has an Automated Meter Reading (AMR) Program, which upon completion, will allow us to read all water meters in the community via radio frequency which is more accurate and more efficient.

The outside meter you are referring to is probably your gas meter, electric meter or remote water meter reading device unit. Water meters must be housed in an enclosed area, where heat is available throughout the winter months; otherwise, the meter can be damaged by frost. It is most common to find water meters in a basement; however, it might be in a crawlspace, cellar, storage room or first floor closet (if the home has been built on a slab). Wherever the meter is located, it must be accessible to our Division of Public Works (DPW) servicemen if our equipment needs repair or inspection.

Often, when Canton residents receive their bills, they wonder why it is so high. Residents are billed once each quarter for water and sewer usage. One thing to keep in mind is that the bill reflects usage for the previous three (3) months. In other words, a bill received in the fall will have summer usage on it. By this time we find that many residents forget how frequently they may have watered over the summer, and are shocked at their bill.

Irrigation systems are the biggest source of high water bills. An average sprinkler head can use two gallons per minute. If your system has 20 heads, and runs for 20 minutes each day, the result would be 24,000 gallons in a month or 72,000 gallons during a quarterly bill. One thing that you can do to monitor your watering is to take a reading at the start of a water cycle and again at the end. By performing this check, you will know exactly how much water is being used by your system. Based on this information, you can adjust your watering accordingly.

For information on ways you can conserve water and reduce your costs, please contact one of our Engineering staff in the DPW at 394-5150.

Following an extensive water and sewer rate study in 2004, it was determined that fixed charges were necessary to recover fixed costs that do not vary with the amount of water consumed or sewer usage. This includes the cost for system operation and maintenance, certain customer distribution related expenses, meter reading, billing and collections. The new true cost-of-service rate structure separates usage costs from these fixed costs.

The fixed charges vary based on the size of water meter in your home or business. For most residential customers, the fixed charge (based on a one-inch meter or less) is $9.81 per quarterly billing.

The fixed charges vary based on the size of water meter in your home or business. The fixed charge for residential customers (based on a one-inch meter or less) is $6.24 per quarterly billing, if you have a separate sump pump system. For customers who do not have a separate sump pump system, a fixed charge of $19.03 will be assessed quarterly. This additional charge reflects the rainwater that enters the sanitary sewer system from the footing drain system that requires treatment at the wastewater treatment plants. If you are unsure whether you have a separate sump pump system, or not, please contact the Water Billing staff in the Treasurer’s Office at 734/394-5240 and schedule an appointment to have an inspection by the DPW staff.

A fixed rate schedule for customers with larger meters can be located under the download section of the Water Billing page.

Under the new 2008 Water Billing System, all minimum bills and sewer caps have been eliminated. Customers are now billed strictly on usage.

Residential water and sewer bills are mailed quarterly. You will receive four per year. Businesses, apartments and condominium complexes are billed bi-monthly or six per year.

Canton Township offers many options for paying your water and sewer bill. Payments can be made by cash or check at the Treasurer’s Office located on the first floor of the Administration Building at 1150 South Canton Center Road. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. For your convenience, a 24 hour drop box is located at the southeast corner of the Administration Building. Payments can also be mailed for processing. Electronic payments can be made through your checking or savings account, credit card or debit card at the Canton Township website— www.canton-mi.org/water

There is no fee for an online payment if the money is taken directly out of your checking or savings account. However, a fee of $3.95 will be added to any payment made on a debit or credit card. Please note, the $3.95 fee passed onto residents by the Bank and NOT Canton Township.

You can make additional payments or partial payments on your account using any of the options described above. Be sure to include your account number to ensure correct posting of your payment.

A 5% penalty is charged on the current water and sewer charges after the specified due date. Postmarks will not be honored.

If you are planning to move, a final water reading should be performed on your residence. Please schedule a final reading, at least 48 hours in advance, by contacting the Water Billing staff in the Treasurer’s Office at 394-5240.

No, the township ordinance does not allow a second meter for outdoor water use. Sewer charges are based on 100 percent of the water consumption, and this is how Canton Township is charged for sewage treatment in the DWSD system.

A leak can occur in several different places in your home or business. The following tips will help you determine where the leak could be.

Water meter

1. Make sure no water is being used indoors or outdoors. Turn off all faucets, shower, washer, irrigation system, etc.
2. Check to see if the small water meter dial is moving by watching the meter for three to four minutes. If it does not move, chances are you have no leaks.
3. Check for slow leaks by reading the meter at night and again in the morning during a period when you have not used any water overnight. If the meter shows usage, you have a leak. If you have a water softener, check on a night when you are not recharging the system.

Toilet

1. Look at the toilet bowl after the tank has stopped filling. If water is running into the bowl, or if you can hear it running, your toilet is leaking. Most toilet leaks happen at the overflow pipe or the plunger ball/flapper valve inside the tank.
2. Overflow Pipe – Take off the tank lid and flush. The water level should be ½ inch or so below the pipe. If it flows over the edge and down the pipe, you are losing water and need to adjust your float level accordingly.
3. Plunger Ball or Flapper Valve – You toilet could have a silent leak. To check, drop a little food coloring in the tank. Do not flush and wait for about ten minutes. If the food coloring appears in the bowl, you have a silent leak, and can probably be repaired with parts from you local hardware store.
4. If you toilet is leaking and you cannot get it repaired right away, shut it off at the valve behind the toilet when you are not using it.

Outdoors and elsewhere

1. Check all faucets, shower heads and outside spigots for drips. A slow drip loses 15-20 gallons per day. During winter months, it is recommended that the water supply to outdoor spigots be turned off at the inside valve to prevent frost damage to the pipes.
2. Check for standing water on your basement floor, especially around the water heater, washer, water softener or water meter.

The following chart illustrates how much water is wasted from a continuous leak over a three month period.

Diameter of Leak (inches)		Water per Quarter 60 psi pressure: (gallons)
1/4” 3/16” 1/8” 1/16”		1,181,500 666,000 296,000 74,000

A toilet running continuously amounts to the following amount of wasted water:

210 gallons per hour
5,040 gallons per day
35,280 gallons per week
141,120 gallons per month
423,360 gallons per quarter

These facts about water usage will help illustrate how much water you’re actually using and where. We’re also offering some suggestions on how to limit your usage.


ShowersTake shorter showers!

• Showers make up 23% of home water use.
• A 10 minute shower uses 50 - 100 gallons of water
• A standard shower head uses 5-10 gallons of water per minute.
• One 5-minute shower daily uses nearly 10,000 gallons per year.
• Low-flow shower heads reduce water use by 50%

BathsDon’t fill the tub full!

• A full bath tub uses much more water than a shower.

ToiletsReplace older toilets with new more efficient models!

• Toilets use 5-7 gallons of water with each flush.
• The average toilet is flushed 8 times each day – that takes 390 gallons per week, or 20,280 gallons each year.
• Displacing water in the tank can save 1-2 gallons per flush or up to 5,800 gallons per year. Use a displacement bag or plastic bottle.

FaucetsTurn off the water while brushing teeth, shaving & washing your hands!

• Normal faucets flow at 3-5 gallons per minute.
• Most people use 2-3 gallons of water to brush their teeth.
• A low-flow faucet aerator reduces flow by 50%.
• Low-flow faucets can save up to 280 gallons per month for a family of four.

LawnsManage your outdoor water use!

• Comply with Canton’s voluntary water use restrictions.
• In some states, 50% of the water is used on lawns and gardens.
• Most people water too much, lawns only need about 1 inch per week. To measure, catch sprinkler water in an open can and determine how long it takes for 1 inch to accumulate and then water for that amount of total time.
• Keep your grass 3 inches in length — the roots will grow stronger and deeper.
• Use short frequent sprinkler cycles to give the lawn time to absorb the water (typically 5-15 minutes long per cycle).

GardensAdd mulch to landscaped beds & trees!

• Mulch conserves water by retaining moisture and eliminating weeds.