Detroit Attempts to Overcome Water Squabbles, Improve Infrastructure

DETROIT — Uncle Sam could soon loosen his grip on Detroit’s water system, handing over the reins to the city and its exurbs. As both the metropolis and its outlying communities build a unified front, they hope President-elect Barack Obama will allocate federal dollars toward rebuilding their crumbling water infrastructure.

But cooperation proves a challenging feat between the city and its prosperous suburbs. “Obviously, we’ve got 30 years of litigation and paranoia and a lack of trust, and we’re trying to overcome that,” Oakland County Water Resource Commissioner John McCulloch told the Detroit Free Press.

With more authority given to the city to manage its water and sewer systems, and attention paid to the city’s exurbs some officials anticipate improved stability. Whether rates, due to double soon, could be kept in check with future funding from Washington remains unknown.

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Source: The Detroit Free Press