City of Novi

Did you know that City of Novi purchases treated water from the Great Lakes Municipal water Authority? GLWA operates the largest water system in Michigan, supplying wholesale water to 126 communities across southeastern Michigan. By law, GLWA operates on a cost-recovery basis without generating profit.

The rate charged to each community includes costs for water treatment, energy for pumping operations, infrastructure maintenance (water mains and storage tanks), and capital improvement projects to maintain aging systems. These expenses are distributed among water customers based on several factors:

• Distance from treatment facility (Novi is over 50 miles away)
• Elevation (pumping to higher elevations costs more)
• Maximum day demand (water usage during peak 24-hour summer periods)
• Peak-hour demand (highest consumption during a single summer hour)
• Annual water consumption

Novi has actively partnered with GLWA to reduce costs. While we can't change our distance from the treatment plant or our city's elevation, we can make adjustments to impact maximum day and peak-hour demands, thereby reducing our rate.

By working together as a community, simple changes in water usage patterns can significantly impact our rates. Much of our peak usage comes from lawn irrigation, but there are many conservation strategies you can implement:

• Limit water consumption between 5-9 a.m. and 6-10 p.m. when system demand is highest
• Schedule lawn irrigation between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.
• Run only full loads of laundry (saves 300-800 gallons monthly)
• Wait until dishwashers are fully loaded before running
• When washing dishes by hand, fill the sink for rinsing rather than running water continuously
• Water plants only when necessary
• Check for and repair leaky fixtures (contact Novi Water Department for toilet leak test strips)
• Dispose of tissues in trash rather than toilets (saves 400-600 gallons monthly)
• Keep showers under 10 minutes (saves up to 700 gallons monthly)
• Install water-saving devices on faucets and showerheads (aerators cost $2-5 and save 4.7 gallons daily)
• Turn off water while brushing teeth, shaving, or washing hands (saves over 240 gallons monthly)
• Consider water-efficient appliances when replacing dishwashers or washing machines (they use up to 40% less water)

For more information about Novi's water quality, including the annual Water Quality Report, visit cityofnovi.org.

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