A Detroit Water employee prepares to turn someone’s water off for nonpayment

Next, SB 241 would institute water shut-off protections for specific groups of vulnerable people and require clearer notices to help water customers prevent shutoffs. According to the bill’s sponsor, State Senator Stephanie Chang, the purpose of this bill is to protect senior citizens, families with children, and people with medical conditions from losing their water.

Further, Chang told Daily Kos, her bill would mandate that people who have overdue water bills receive multiple clear notices, in advance, “with enough information about what their options are for assistance and … some things they can do to prevent a shutoff.”

The final bill, SB 242, would lower the penalty for residents who illegally turn their water back on after a shutoff. Currently, state residents who “steal” the water that humans need to survive can face a felony charge and a possible five years in prison.

“What we are saying is that water is a human right, and that everyone deserves access to clean drinking water,” Democratic state Senator Jeff Irwin, the primary sponsor of SB 242, told Daily Kos. “And that, as a community, we need to figure out how we make the system work for everybody, even our poorest and most vulnerable and needy residents.”

While the problems with both Flint’s and Detroit’s water systems have received nation and even world-wide attention, Michigan’s water affordability crisis goes far beyond the two major cities. A 2018 study by the University of Michigan found that 84% of low-income residents in each of the state’s three largest counties–Oakland, Wayne and Macomb–were cutting back on their monthly expenses just to afford their water bills. Just over half were reduced to deciding which bill to pay each month–either their water bill or their energy bill.

Detroit and Flint residents also aren’t alone in suffering from the lack of state-based assistance with water bills. According to the UM report, over 90% of the surveyed households who were receiving bill assistance were still cutting back on other necessary expenses—just to access water.

Chang, who has introduced her Water Shutoff Protection Act (SB 241) for the past three years, told Daily Kos that this situation has to change.

“The end goal is, it shouldn't matter how much your household income is. That shouldn't determine whether or not you have clean water for you and your family to drink,” Chang said.

Given that the bills have just been introduced–and the state legislature is still dominated by Republicans–neither Irwin nor Chang were able to predict their bills’ chances of success.

“I do think there is bipartisan interest in the issue of water quality, and so my goal is to make sure affordability remains an important priority,” Chang said.

While the state’s Republican leadership hasn’t yet supported changing the law to project the state’s poorest residents from water shutoffs, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has taken a firm stand.

On March 5, MLive reported that the governor has proposed spending $120 million to improve the state’s drinking water infrastructure, which is one of the primary factors contributing to unaffordable water rates According to the report, Whitmer acknowledged that access to clean drinking water is a “fundamental human right” during her presentation to a joint senate and house appropriations committee.

“If we want anyone to invest in Michigan, we have to invest in ourselves,” she added.

That investment—and passage of the water affordability bills proposed by the state’s Democratic senators—can’t come soon enough for Michiganders who currently are expected to pay up or go without, no matter how much they may be dying for a drink.

Support the Water Affordability Package

Readers who would like to advocate on behalf of the package of water affordability bills (Senate Bills 240, 241, and 242) can contact the state’s Republican legislative leaders:

Michigan State Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey: (517) 373-5932

Michigan State House Speaker Lee Chatfield: (517) 373-2629