The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department should get rid of four out of every five of its employees and outsource billing, maintenance and other functions to save about $900 million over the next decade, a water-board-commissioned report released today said.
Free Press reporter John Wisely reports the changes are needed to slow water and sewer rate increases which have more than doubled in the past decade and are set to rise about 8% annually if changes aren’t made, according to Director Sue McCormick.
The recommendation calls for the department to slash its workforce from 1,978 employees currently to about 374 over five years. It also calls for an additional 361 outside employees to work for the department on a contract basis. That would bring the total workforce to 735, about 63% below current levels.
