Detroit Water Department places 15-day moratorium on shutoffs

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Charlie Fleetham, DWSD sub-contractor

DETROIT — The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department announced July 21 that it will be suspending for 15 days its controversial water shutoffs. The shutoffs, called a violation of human rights by the U.N., have gained national and international attention. The news came following Federal Judge Steven Rhodes’ order for the department and Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr to come up with a solution to what he called an embarrassment to the city. In court, July 15, Judge Rhodes, who presides over Detroit’s bankruptcy case, told DWSD deputy Director Darryl Lattimer there was more the department could do in assisting those who were facing shutoffs.
“There is much more you can do, and I encourage you to work with community leaders to come up with a whole list of initiatives to resolve this problem,” Rhodes told Lattimer.
Lattimer had told Rhodes the department was  “reaching out to activists; mailing inserts letting you know what we offer; doing different things with the website; using the media as a platform.”
According to Lattimer the average water bill delinquency was $540 and had accumulated anywhere from 90 to 120 days. The average bill for a Detroit residential customer is $40 to $50 month.
DWSD’s new shutoff program implemented in late March occurs when a customer has a past due amount that exceeds $150 or the bill is over 60 days past due. A total of 14,000 shutoffs have taken place since March, where 1500 to 3000 customers have been shutoff a week. DWSD says many customers have had service restored, some within 24 hours.
In a community meeting with the Rosedale Park residents July 17, DWSD representatives told residents there would not be a moratorium on foreclosures. DWSD sub-contractor Charlie Fleetham also told residents there would not be an implementation of an affordability plan because it was against the law.
“It’s prohibited by state law. By state law DWSD can only charge the cost of service and if they implemented an affordability rate, they would be sued immediately, the next day by Oakland County and many other suburban wholesale customers, Fleetham said.
You can vote to change the law, he added.
Activists have called for a moratorium on the shutoffs and the implementation of the water affordability plan (see: https://www.fsconline.com/downloads/Papers/2005%2001%20Detroit%20Water.pdf) drafted and submitted to the DWSD in 2005.
DWSD had not responded to questions at the time of this posting.
Special to the NNPA from The Michigan Citizen

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