Company Profile
Great Lakes Water Authority
Company Overview
We Are One Water
The Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) provides nearly 40 percent of Michigan’s population with water of unquestionable quality, as well as effective and efficient wastewater services to nearly 30 percent of the state.
GLWA is all about the movement of water from the environment, to our customers, and back to the environment. We ensure our member partner communities get the highest quality water using treatment standards that are stricter than state or federal regulatory requirements.
And once the water has been used, we run it through our treatment process again before returning it to the environment – often cleaner than when we received it.
Working hand-in-hand with our member partners, we provide water and wastewater services of the highest quality. Together, we are one water.
Company History
On June 12, 2015, history was made as the Great Lakes Water Authority and the City of Detroit entered into 40-year leases providing for GLWA’s operation of the regional water and sewer system. On January 1, 2016, GLWA began regional operations. GLWA is an important example of regional collaboration in southeast Michigan, with the City of Detroit, the counties of Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb, and the State of Michigan officially uniting to ensure that both city and suburban water and sewer customers have a powerful voice in the management and direction of one of largest water and wastewater utilities in the United States.
With the stand-up of the new authority, GLWA assumed operational, infrastructure improvements, environmental compliance and budget-setting responsibilities for the regional water and sewage treatment plants, major water transmission mains and sewage interceptors, and related facilities. These facilities are leased from the City of Detroit for an allocation of $50 million per year to fund capital improvements for the City of Detroit retail system and/or Detroit’s share of capital improvements to the regional system.
Currently GLWA provides wholesale water and waste water services to 126 municipalities in seven Southeastern Michigan counties, which is equivalent to approximately 3.9 million customers.
In keeping with the spirit of collaboration from which GLWA was created, the authority is governed by a Board of Directors that includes one representative each from Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties as well as two representatives from the City of Detroit, and one appointed by the Governor of the State of Michigan to represent customer communities outside the tri-county area.
Benefits
OUR BENEFITS
We know how important it is to have good, affordable health and group benefits. That’s why we offer competitive benefits to full-time employees, providing protection, peace of mind and savings. Whether it’s health care, income protection, retirement savings or other benefits such as the Employee Assistance Plan, we’ve got you covered.
GLWA’s comprehensive benefits package offers our team members:
Medical
Dental
Vision
Prescription Drugs
Flexible Spending Accounts
Life Insurance
Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance
Defined Contribution Plan (401A)
Deferred Compensation Plan (457)
Retiree Health Savings Account
Short-Term Disability
Long-Term Disability
Paid Time Off
Paid Holidays
Excused Days Off
Bereavement Days
Tuition Assistance
One Water Wellness Program
Employee Assistance Program
Team Member Savings Center