The Detroit Water and Sewarage Department has a costly surprise for about 1,200 commercial customers, Kirk Pinho reports in Crain's.
It belatedly spotted a multi-year billing slip and sent bills that can be huge.
Some Detroit businesses are getting retroactively soaked with . . . storm water drainage fees that mistakenly had not been charged for several years and will result, in some cases, in one-time bills of tens of thousands of dollars.
The unexpected fees are causing anger in the business community and at least one threat of possible legal action. . . .
Pinho quotes a spokesman who says the bills "make sure that residents using the system are not subsidizing business customers."
The charges affect only Detroit businesses because the DWSD is not responsible for storm water drainage services in suburban communities. . . .
Unbilled drainage charges . . . "could ultimately be in the millions," Johnson said.
The Crain's writer also speaks with an east-side business owner who says her $1,800 monthly "water bill is more expensive than property taxes, which is ridiculous."
