24 Hours in Highland Park: Highland Park Mayor Glenda McDonald Says City’s Water Debt Issues Are Nearly Resolved

The city of Highland Park has been grappling with a water debt crisis for years, owing millions of dollars to the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA). The debt has left many residents struggling to pay their water bills, fearing shutoffs and further financial strain. In October 2023, a tentative deal was reached between GLWA and Highland Park to end the dispute, but the agreement is still unsettled and needs approval from all parties involved. If approved, the deal would dismiss ongoing lawsuits, including a $24 million judgment against Highland Park, and provide funding for historic infrastructure repairs in the city and within the GLWA service area. According to Highland Park Mayor Glenda McDonald, the path to clearing the debt involved the city making a $1 million “good faith payment” to ensure that the remaining provisions outlined in the agreement would be adhered to by all parties. One of the major contributors to the water debt crisis in Highland Park is the decades of neglect and underinvestment in the city’s aging infrastructure. The city’s water system has been in dire need of repair, with so many of the city’s pipes predate World War I. The cost of fixing the system has...