New Study Says Flint Water Rates Are Highest in the Country

At these prices, that lead in the water better be gold-plated.

It's not really news that the residents of Flint pay a ridiculous amount for their water and sewer bill, but it's still enough to piss you off. What's more infuriating than that is the fact that some customers had poison pumping through the tap for nearly two years, because someone (or several someones) cut corners to save money. When you realize that Flint residents are paying higher water rates than any city in the nation -- the whole situation is enough to make you go nuclear.

According to a new study by Food & Water Watch, Flint residents pay roughly $864/year* for water on average. That figure is over $360/yr north of the national average, $530/yr more than the Michigan average, and much higher than cities like Detroit, Miami, and New York, as can be seen in the chart shown here.

*Editors Note: The $864/yr average does not include sewer charges, which probably account for roughly 35-50% of a total monthly bill in Flint.

Flint water news hasn't all gloom and doom recently bad lately, as genrous donations continue to roll in, the Governor continues work on getting Flint more money to deal with the crisis, and replacement of bad pipes has already begun. Now if we could just get those monthly rates lowered and all of the lead out of the water -- we'd be in decent shape.