Detroit water shutoffs

Some Democratic lawmakers see a bill to declare a human right to water as a first step toward broader efforts to end the water shutoffs that plague low-income Michiganders.

The Legislature should pass Senate Bill 241 now to protect the public’s health.

Experts said the strategy, which largely draws upon existing funding sources to tackle PFAS contamination, lead pipe replacement, sewer overflows and other water challenges, is a good step but fixing Michigan’s water infrastructure will require more investment.

As welcome are the orders to restore water, they will not end the coronavirus crisis nor protect us from future ones, without three additional actions in the short, medium and long term.

Hoarding has made bottled water a scarce commodity in Michigan, complicating efforts to deliver the bare essentials to thousands of Detroit residents.

Ten days into an emergency effort to restore water to Detroit homes, several hundred residents still remain without water and activists wants Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to enlist the National Guard to help in the effort.

Detroit has turned water back on to fewer than 100 homes despite a program that slashes reconnection fees to $25. City officials say they are racing to solve phone and contractor issues they blame for the delays.

Detroit is offering to turn back on water for $25 to halt the spread of coronavirus, and for 30 days, the state of Michigan will pick up the tab for those who can’t afford it, Mayor Mike Duggan announced.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is unlikely to declare a state emergency to end Detroit water shutoffs, prompting debate about how much proof is needed about health detriments that researchers say are obvious.

Citing a Bridge Magazine article, Sanders calls water shutoffs a ‘moral outrage.’ City officials say they want to expand relief efforts for thousands of impoverished residents with no running water.

Detroit officials want to double the amount of help available for low-income customers facing water shutoffs. Most programs help those who aren't yet disconnected.

After two years of decline, Detroit water shutoffs jumped 44 percent last year, as the city stopped water to 1 in 9 homes. Most stayed off a month or more, and nearly 10,000 homes still don’t have service.

Polling by The Center for Michigan of more than 3,100 residents shows broad support for increased regulations to protect waterways and heightened anxieties about their safety.

Records show 62 percent of Detroit residential shutoffs were without service as of Aug. 1. The vast majority had gone a week or more, contradicting claims that the city restores nearly all water within 48 hours.

Every year, thousands of Detroit customers are disconnected for nonpayment. Many resources exist for help. Here is what is available.

Fayette Coleman was tough as nails and endured an epic water shutoff. Now, activists wonder if that led to her death. Despite 100,000 shutoffs, no one knows because the issue is scarcely researched.

Rising costs, aging infrastructure: Are closing taps to abandoned blocks the answer? Detroit is amid a study to find out.

New records show more than 1,500 occupied homes never had water restored this year after disconnections for nonpayment. That’s at least 1 in 10 shutoffs this year from Detroit’s aggressive collections.

Residential shutoffs spiked 18 percent in 2016 - countering city officials' expectations. A staggering 83,000 homes have lost water service at some point since the city launched a crackdown on delinquent accounts in 2014.

Go block by block to scan the more than 27,000 homes that had water cut off in 2016.