GLWA Board approves Highland Park debt recovery plan over water bill debt

At their regular meeting earlier this week, the Great Lakes Water Authority's board of directors authorized the implementation of bad debt recovery credits in Highland Park.

The bad debt recovery credits total more than $20 million — $15 million for the Sewer System and $5,026,500 for the Water system. Those credits will be applied to June 2024 services, which will reduce payments due from member partners in August and September.

According to GLWA, the methodology for these credits is based on the amounts directed included in Water and Sewer charges related to Highland Park's debt through June 30, 2022.

This is the second set of credits passed, with the first ones being applied last year when Highland Park made their initial $1 million payment.

Last year, GLWA and Highland Park reached an agreement that at the time suspended court activities in their ongoing dispute over a $24 million judgment against the city.

WATCH: Our story from October 2023 on Highland Park residents feeling relieved after tentative deal to settle water bill debt

“Now that the settlement agreement, new water and sewer contracts for Highland Park and the trust agreement between Highland Park and US Bank as trustee are in place and operating as agreed upon, we felt comfortable recommending to the GLWA Board of Directors that they authorize the application of credits to our first-tier member partners,” said Nicolette N. Bateson, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer with the GLWA in a release about the incident. “We want to express our thanks to our member partners for their patience and support as we worked to bring resolution to many years of litigation between the Detroit Water & Sewerage Department, then the Great Lakes Water Authority, and Highland Park.”

Highland Park residents are now eligible to receive assistance from GLWA's Water Residential Assistance Program. For more information, you can call Wayne Metro at (313)386-9727 or visit this website .