DWSD Finance Committee agenda would authorize nearly $30M for District 5 & 6

Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) Finance Committee items for its July 8, 2026 meeting would authorize the DWSD director to move forward with two separate water-system improvement contracting steps focused on Detroit’s District Five and District Six.

For residents in those districts, the big takeaway is that the agenda items set maximum (“not-to-exceed”) contract values and list two-year contract terms—so this is expected to support ongoing improvements during the contract window, not a one-time, short job.

What DWSD’s July 8, 2026 Finance Committee agenda would authorize

The agenda includes two “new business” items that each authorize the director to approve a contract for a water system improvement project:

• Project WS-751 (District Five): “Water System Improvements in Various District Five Neighborhoods.” The not-to-exceed amount would be $11,496,000 over a two (2) year term.
• Project WS-752 (District Six): “Water System Improvements in Various District Six Neighborhoods.” The not-to-exceed amount would be $18,475,000 over a two (2) year term.

Combined: the total not-to-exceed ceilings are $29.971 million (about nearly $30 million). “Not-to-exceed” is an upper limit—not a guarantee of the final price of any specific portion of the work.

Why “not-to-exceed” and a two-year term matter for residents

Because the amounts are listed as not-to-exceed, the final cost for the contracted work could come in lower depending on how the work is scoped and implemented. And because the term is two years, the agenda language supports the expectation of a continuing program of improvements during the contract period.

At this stage, the projects are described at the district level—the agenda language points to “various” neighborhoods within District Five and District Six. That means residents should look for later DWSD communications that spell out which neighborhood blocks and specific work types will be prioritized as the contracts move forward.

What to watch next

The practical resident question now becomes: which neighborhoods and which water-system improvement activities will be prioritized during the contract period, and how DWSD will communicate before and during any field work.

To follow the public process, residents can track DWSD’s board/committee scheduling through the department’s Legistar calendar and related public meeting notices connected to the Finance Committee items.

Sources

• DWSD (Legistar) — Finance Committee Meeting Agenda – Final (July 8, 2026)
• City of Detroit — Board of Water Commissioners July 2026 meeting notice