click to enlarge Steve Neavling

Spirit of Detroit.

The city of Detroit shut off water to more than 11,800 homes for delinquent payments since April, and most of those houses are still without running water. City records , first obtained by the online news site, show that 7,310 of the homes still had no water as of Aug. 1.“It’s extremely alarming,” Alisha Bell, chairwoman of the Wayne County Board of Commissioners, told Bridge . “Shutoffs should be used as an absolute last resort. We need to do a better job being protective of our seniors and those with children in their homes.”Since the city began shutting off water for delinquent payments six year ago, more than 130,000 homes have lost service.