South Haven water plant costs escalate: Overruns, add-ons boost expenses $2.5 million

Increasing demand for water has pushed South Haven 's 80-year-old water-filtration plant to its maximum capacity and forced the city to build a new plant, set for completion by December 2010.

[shdweller]

oh great. it was just announced today that our utility rates will now go up almost 12 percent per customer to pay for this. people of south haven cannot afford this. no jobs, minimum wage at best if you have a job..this is not good. want to see this town fold? it will fold with this kind of mismanagement.

[concernedshnativ e]

Some things seem to be explainable, but others "Electrical costs nearly doubled, from the $1 million budgeted to $1.7 million. "The engineers simply did not do a correct estimate," said Robert Burr, chairman of the Board of Public Utilities." reek of mismanagement. It looks like we have no choice but to pay the extra in our bills, but Brian, we are expecting managers to lose their jobs over this incompetence. It simply is not okay to pass along their mistakes to the public. And please, remove the outside engineers from consideration on any additional city work.

[crod]

how are people supposed to pay for this if they are laid off or on a fixed income? I live in the township and I used $4.08 in water usage and paid $13 extra in water debt because I live in the township. The sewage -$5.65 with a $20 charge on it. So with all the extra stuff on my water a $4.08 bill becomes $23.06 and the sewage becomes-$33.94!!!! And now I will have to pay more even. No wonder I am getting out of this town.

[waitin2sell]

Stop hiring people for studies. You're supposed to do the jobs you were hired/elected for. If you cannot make a decision, get out of the way and let someone who can. I believe this new city mgr. is being blamed for the dregs left by the last one.

[SHite]

And now Bob Burr, Chairman of the Board of Public Utilities, the group who made this terrible miscalculation, is running for MAYOR!! Yikes!