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WEBVTT EN'T PAID.I-TEAM REPORTER DEBORAH WEINERHAS TONIGHT'S REPORT.REPORTER: THIS MONTH, NOTICES GOOUT TO BALTIMORE CITY RESIDENTSWHOSE HOMES COULD GO TO TAX SALEFOR A DELINQUENT WATER BILL.IT IS A VERY REAL PROBLEM ANDPRO-BONO ATTORNEYS WORKING WITHTHE MOST VULNERABLE CITIZENS SAYTHEIR CLIENTS ARE AT THEBREAKING POINT.FOR BALTIMORE HOMEOWNER JAMESMCALLISTER, THE FIVE MONTHS HELIVED WITHOUT RUNNING WATERBECAME TURBULENT AND DESPERATETIMES.>> IT KIND OF DEPRIVES YOU OFSOME LEVEL OF ORDER ANDSTRUCTURE IN YOUR LIFE.REPORTER: TWO YEARS AGO, WITHHIS WATER NOT FLOWING, HEBROUGHT IN BOTTLED WATER TO HELPHIM CLEAN, COOK, AND BATHE, SOHE COULD GO TO WORK AT A BAKERY.>> THIS IS THE MOST RECENT BILL.REPORTER: STARING DOWN HISLATEST BILL, WHICH IS STAGGERINGAT MORE THAN $6,000 BECAUSE OFSUBSTANTIALLY, -- SUBSTATIALLEAK, HE WORRIES HE MAYHE HASN'T PAID A WATER BILLSINCE LAST MARCH.LAST YEAR, THE BALTIMOREDEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS SHUTOFF WATER SERVICE TO ABOUT 1400ACCOUNTS, 8000 THE YEAR BEFORE.WHILE CITY OFFICIALS SAY MANY OFTHE PROPERTIES WERE VACANT, IFYOUR BILL FALLS BEHIND $250 FORTWO CONSECUTIVE BILLING PERIODS,YOU CAN BE ELIGIBLE FOR SHUT OFFTOO.>> THEY BECOME DELINQUENT.THEY FACE WATER SHUT OFF.THEY ALSO FACE THE RISK OFLOSING THEIR HOUSE IN A TAXSALE, WHICH CAN HAVE BEEN OVER ADELINQUENT WATER BILL.REPORTER: A RECENT REPORT FROMTHE ABELL FOUNDATION FOUND INBALTIMORE, THE POOREST CUSTOMERSPAY THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OFTHEIR INCOMES FOR WATER ANDSEWER SERVICE.ADDING, THIS IS A NATIONALCRISIS, AND BALTIMORE IS NOTALONE.HERE, INFRASTRUCTURE, CRUMBLINGBEFORE OUR EYES, AND AN ESTIMATEOF AT LEAST $2 BILLION TOMODERNIZE IT, IS THE REASONBEHIND A COMBINED 31% RATE HIKEOVER A THREE YEAR PERIOD.>> THINGS DID GET AWAY FROM US.WE PUT LOW-COST, INEXPENSIVEWATER SERVICE AHEAD OF THE NEEDSOF PEOPLE AND INVESTED THEINFRASTRUCTURE.HERE WE ARE.REPORTER: BUT DPW IS ALSO PAYINGTHE BILLS.IN 2015, THE CITY PROVIDEDNEARLY $1 MILLION TO ABOUT 5100CUSTOMERS WHO NEEDED HELP.>> WATER IS LIKE ANY OTHERUTILITY.IT'S NOT LIKE A CABLE BILL ORPHONE BILL.EVEN ELECTRICITY, TO A CERTAINEXTENT.WE CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT WATER.REPORTER: DELEGATE MARYWASHINGTON IS THE LEAD SPONSOROF A TRIO OF BILLS IN ANNAPOLISTHAT SEEK TO CURB SHUT-OFFS ANDTAX SALES, WHILE ADJUSTING WATERBILLS DOWN TO THE LEVELLOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS CAN PAY.THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKSTELLS US THEY HAVE BEEN TRYINGTO HELP JAMES MCALLISTER SINCE2014 AND HE WOULD QUALIFY FOR ASUBSIDIZED PROGRAM TO HELP FIXHIS WATER LEAK.AND THAT'S GOOD NEWS, BECAUSE HESAYS HE DOESN'T PRAY FOR RAIN HE, HE PRAYS FOR WATER.DPW ALSO ACCEPTED JAMESMCCALISTER INTO THEIR HARDSHIPEXEMPTION PROGRAM AND THEY STHEY HAVE BEEN TRYING TO REACHHIM SINCE LATE LAST WEEK.THERE ARE A NUMBER OF SIMILARPROGRAMS THE CITY OFFERS THATCAN AID SENIORS AND LOW-INCOMEFAMILIES.YOU CAN FIND IT ON THE WBAL-TV

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Insurmountable bills are leaving some Baltimore residents without water for long periods of time. Over the last year, the 11 News I-Team has tackled issues related to water affordability, specifically bills that seem insurmountable, leaving Baltimore residents living without running water when the bills aren't paid. This month, notices will be sent to Baltimore City residents whose homes could go to tax sale for a delinquent water bill. Pro-bono attorneys working with the most vulnerable citizens said their clients are at the breaking point. For Baltimore homeowner James McAllister, the five months he lived without running water became turbulent and desperate times. "It kind of deprives you of some level of order and structure in your life," McAllister said. Two years ago, with his water not flowing, he brought in bottled water to help him clean, cook and bathe, so he could go to work at a bakery. His latest bill was staggering at more than $6,000 because of a substantial leak. He worries he may lose his house to a tax sale. He hasn't paid a water bill since last March. Last year, the Baltimore Department of Public Works shut off water service to about 1,400 accounts and 8,000 the year before. While city officials said many of the properties were vacant, if a bill falls behind $250 for two consecutive billing periods, homeowners can be eligible for shutoff. "They become delinquent, they face water shutoff and they face the risk of losing their house, which can happen just over a delinquent water bill," said Susan Francis, with the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service. A recent report from The Abell Foundation found "in Baltimore, the poorest customers pay the highest percentage of their incomes for water and sewer service." They added, this is a "national crisis" and "Baltimore is not alone." In Baltimore, it's estimated to cost at least $2 billion to modernize the crumbling infrastructure, which city officials said is the reason behind a combined 31 percent rate hike over a three-year period. "Things did get away from us. We put low-cost, inexpensive water service ahead of the need to re-invest in that infrastructure, and here we are paying the piper," DPW spokesman Jeffrey Raymond said. But DPW is also paying the bills. In 2015, the city provided nearly $1 million to about 5,100 customers who needed help. Delegate Mary Washington, D-Baltimore City, is the lead sponsor of a trio of bills in Annapolis that seek to curb shutoffs and tax sales, while adjusting water bills down to the level low-income households can pay. "Water isn't like any other utility. It's not like a cable bill, or a phone bill, or even electricity. To a certain extent, as humans, we cannot live without water," Washington said. The DPW said it has been trying to help McAllister since 2014, and he would qualify for a subsidized program to help fix his water leak. DPW also accepted McAllister into its Hardship Exemption Program, and DPW officials said they will continue to help him. There are similar programs offered by the city that can help seniors and low-income families. LINK: Water Billing Programs to Assist Residents