Access to Clean Water

This article really opened my eyes to the poor management of water in Detroit. Access to clean water is a basic human right. 150,000 Detroit residents who are late on their bills will have their water shut off, but it is estimated that 200,000 to 300,000 people will be affected by the water termination. It’s crazy to think that these people won’t have water to cook or clean. How can we deny senior citizens and people with a disability access to clean water?

According to the Jan Jeecher from the Institute of Public Utilities at Michigan State University, “we’ve have never really developed a clear public policy toward universal service and water. While federal programs have been developed to offset the rising costs of fuel and electricity, there is no program for water. I am especially taken back by the fact that the water in Detroit is more expensive than other parts of the state and country. While a great portion of Detroit’s money and jobs are flow into wealthy suburbs, the remaining residents are left to bear the cost of essential public services such as water and sanitation. I don’t think it’s fair that the price of water in Detroit is about twice the national average cost of water per month. The rates have gone up by 130 percent in a decade and Detroit’s poorer residents simply cannot afford to pay for it.

With the sweltering summer and heated uproars that are suspected to take place as a result of the water shut off, there is tremendous pressure on the United Nations to step in. There’s also a growing concern regarding the privatization of Detroit’s water. Would corporations really care for residents who can’t pay their bills? At any rate, cities cannot function without people and people cannot function without water.

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-detroit-water-20140629-story.html#page=1