Activists blast proposed price for Detroit water

A half-dozen activists and others pleaded with the Detroit Board of Water Commissioners Wednesday to hold the line on water rate increases, arguing poor Detroiters can't afford to pay more.

"We're definitely against any rate hikes, in fact, we want the rates reduced," said Irene Welch of the Great Lakes Water Protection Committee, an environmental advocacy group.

It was the first of three scheduled public hearings on the rate proposals, which would see Detroiters pay 3.4% more for water while the average suburban wholesale rate would rise 11.3%.

The Board of Water Commissioners listened for about 30 minutes to members of the public who wanted to speak, but didn't vote on the rate proposals. The Detroit City Council must approve rates for city residents. The water board is to vote on suburban rates March 11.

Tijuana Morris retired from the Detroit Police Department in 2010 and said pension cuts approved as part of the city's bankruptcy are making it hard for her to afford water rate increases.

"The City of Detroit retirees will be devastated," she said. "Water is a human right."

Demeeko Williams is political director of the Detroit Water Brigade, a volunteer group that works to prevent water shutoffs and advocates more affordable water. He presented the board with a petition with 445 signatures urging the board to cancel the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department's existing debt before forming the new Great Lakes Water Authority, which is expected to launch later this year.

The authority was created as part of Detroit's bankruptcy. It will manage the water and sewer system for the region and be run by a board that includes representatives not only from Detroit, but also from Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties as well as a member appointed by the governor.

The authority will pay Detroit $50 million annually to lease the system assets. The authority is still being formed but it is expected to launch later this year.

"We can't pay, we won't pay," said Williams, who helped organize Detroiters facing shut-offs last year.

The Rev. Tom Airey of St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Detroit's Corktown area said Environmental Protection Agency guidelines suggest that monthly water bills shouldn't exceed 2.5% of household income.

In Detroit, median household income was about $24,820 in 2013, according to U.S. Census estimates, so water bills over $52 a month will make it difficult for many residents to pay.

Airey said many residents who inherited homes from their parents or others often received them with thousands of dollars owed on the water bill.

"With the water affordability plans made available about six months ago, people need to have 10% down" to qualify for a plan, he said. "A lot of people couldn't even afford that."

Contact John Wisely: 313-222-6825 or jwisely@freepress.com.