Toledo water rate hikes to be a burden

A series of pipes carries water through Toledo's Collins Park water treatment plant. City Council voted to raise water rates to pay for regional water system repairs.

As president of the Lucas County Township Association, I conclude that Toledo’s water rate increase will only push away cooperation with the city and further burden property owners (“City hikes water rates 56.5% over 5 years; Suburbanites also to pay big increase,” May 1).

I had a plan to regionalize the water system and put an additional facility in the western portion of the county, to take care of growth and future breakdowns.

The water system has been in such a neglected condition that it will cost from $250 million for repairs to $750 million to replace the entire system to meet today’s standards of quality, with far fewer pollutants and chemicals in the water. I met with several engineering firms to get pricing for system repairs or a full replacement.

The new regional system would have a secondary backup, to prevent breakdowns and to meet high need during the summer. The new facility would have modern technology on filtering and ultra-violet lighting purification.

The new system would replace miles of cast iron pipe that have been in the ground for almost 100 years in some cases. I’m tired of rusty, contaminated water and having to boil drinking water after a repair.

Raising costs in the city and suburbs is not the answer. Regionalization would bring money from the state’s Local Government Innovation Fund. Federal grants would cover 50 to 75 percent of the cost. This would help lower rates.

People in government need to get more involved in researching a plan for the future, instead of just voting on a Band-Aid. I commend Toledo City Councilman Tyrone Riley on his tenacity for voting against the rate hikes.

KEVIN HADDAD
Trustee Sylvania Township

What’s futureafter water hike?

We’re told that Toledo’s historically mismanaged water facilities need this historic rate increase.

After five years of dishing out all this money, what happens? Will rates stay the same? Decrease? Increase? One would think this massive rate increase is a one-time capital improvement and would no longer be reflected in our rates.

JEFF HOHL
Burroughs Drive

City water, pay hikes ludicrous

Toledo City Council hikes water rates more than 50 percent to help cover the inexcusable deterioration of the Collins Park water treatment plant, and at the same time proposes a pay increase for council members and the mayor (“Salary hikes proposed for mayor, City Council,” April 24). This is ludicrous.

Where was the preventive maintenance at Collins Park? If this neglect had occurred in any private industrial plant, someone would have been looking for a new job — not given a pay increase.

BRUCE WHARRAM
Sylvania Township