🧭 Case for Support: Mishawaka Utilities Wastewater (MUWW) Ratepayers
Purpose:
To explain why the proposed 3.75% annual rate adjustment over the next five years is necessary, responsible, and designed to protect long-term service quality and system reliability.
Why This Matters to You:
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Your system is aging — and critical. Much of Mishawaka’s wastewater infrastructure, including treatment facilities and collection systems, is over 30 years old. Proactive reinvestment now prevents far more expensive emergency failures later.
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It keeps your service reliable. A strong rate plan ensures continued compliance with federal and state environmental standards while maintaining dependable service — even during extreme weather events or population growth.
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It protects local control. Sound finances and system stewardship allow Mishawaka Utilities to remain locally managed, avoiding outside intervention or privatization pressures.
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It funds vital reinvestment, not bureaucracy. Every dollar of the rate plan is tied directly to MUWW/COM sustainability, capital improvement projects, system upgrades, and asset replacements that benefit customers.
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It preserves environmental quality. Continued progress on the City’s Long-Term Control Plan (LTCP) reduces combined sewer overflows (CSOs) into the St. Joseph River, protecting public health and Mishawaka’s natural beauty.
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It’s gradual and manageable. The modest 3.75% annual adjustment (less than inflation in many years) spreads costs fairly and predictably while keeping Mishawaka’s rates well below regional averages. MUWW rates have not been raised in 6 years.
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It ensures equity and fairness. Customers today and tomorrow share in maintaining the system they rely on.
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It supports the Mishawaka Way. We hire the best, plan for the worst, and provide reliable, affordable service to every home and business — with transparency and accountability
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