Township wins appeal of water lawsuit

Bloomfield Township has won an appeal of a longrunning lawsuit over water and sewer rates. The Jan. 7 decision from the Michigan Court of Appeals means the township will not have to pay more than $9 million in refunds that would have been distributed among the township’s 15,000 water customers and 12,800 sewer customers.

The Oakland County Circuit Court awarded the $6 million to the plaintiffs in the case in 2018.

“We fought it and we won,” township Supervisor Dani Walsh said.

She said the appeals court decision sends a clear message that there was nothing improper about the township’s methods for calculating water and sewer bills.

She said the appeals court ruling may encourage other municipalities to fight similar lawsuits. Several area communities had settled the lawsuits, resulting in nominal refund checks for residents.

Bloomfield Township residents had complained repeatedly at Board of Trustees meetings about the legal fees spent on the case, which began in 2016. But Walsh said the township spent about $1 million on legal representation, far less than the $9 million that would have been paid out if the circuit court decision had not been challenged. Walsh said she is still concerned about water and sewer rates and is looking at ways to lower the charges for residents.