https://www.metrotimes.com/detroit/why-theres-no-end-in-sight-for-highland-parks-water-affordability-crisis/Content?oid=21757556
I’ve been thinking about this MetroTimes article a lot recently by Eleanore Catolico. It’s called “Why there’s no end in sight for Highland Park’s water affordability crisis” and covers the history and present moment of the water shutoff crisis in Highland Park. It is very connected to the work I’m doing at Soulardarity because it shows how large utilities can go completely awry when people in the city do not have control over their utilities. Just like the energy shutoffs that Soulardarity is trying to stop through making alternatives to DTE energy and reducing DTE rates, water shutoffs are a huge problem in Highland Park. When people don’t have access to the basics they need, like water, it is really dangerous for their health. How did the water shutoffs happen? Basically, the Highland Park water plant was shut down in 2012 because it needed huge repairs the city couldn’t afford. The city switched over to Detroit’s Water and Sewerage Department for water, but during the switch no bills were issued. After a year of no bills, DWSD started charging the city for unpaid bills (bills that were never issued) and to cover the debt, the city charged residents exorbitant amounts of money. When people couldn’t afford it, their water was shut off.
This article makes me think about how it is completely unethical to treat water like a commodity that can be bought and sold– when money is put before people’s needs this is what happens. I’m also thinking about this quote from the article- “The same year Highland Park’s water treatment plant was closed, Ann Arbor, a prestigious college town and burgeoning tech hub, was approved for a $109 million loan to fix its plant. This was under then Gov. Rick Snyder’s leadership.”
Rick Snyder’s governance and crimes in Flint showed that he is incredibly racist and classist and does not care about majority Black communities. This decision to give Ann Arbor the money needed but not approve Highland Park reminds me of redlining policies because Ann Arbor is a majority white, wealthy city and Highland Park is a majority low-income, Black community. There’s no good reason Ann Arbor residents should be able to have access to the utilities we need but not Highland Parkers.
It is very unsettling and frustrating reading about how governments treat certain regions over others, as well as knowing that redlining still exists today. Thank you for your perspectives! I agree that people should be put first over profit. Water is not a commodity, but a basic human need.
Thank you for sharing this article and what you learned from it. It’s horrendous that people still have to fight for their right to have access to clean water and that so many people’s lives can be impacted by one man’s bigotry and racism. I think it’s also really unfortunate that these issues Highland Park is facing is not more well-known. Flint’s water crisis received national attention and that’s awesome that they got that media coverage, but more that just Flint is experiencing water crises as this article shows us.
This also ties into the drainage charge residents face. They are charged to impervious surfaces on their land such as pavement and even rooftops. Oh, and since they’ve switched over, when rain overflows the system the sewage and rainwater goes straight into the Detroit River. The unethical decisions leaders have made over the years and the corners they’ve tried to cut are so infuriating.
Maslow’s Hierarchy states water as a basic necessity and without the presence of water one has a higher chance of death. Although that sounds extreme it is very much real for some residents within Detroit. I think this problem needs to be addressed as a national emergency and appropriately handled to ensure things akin to this do not repeat itself.