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Democratic Lawmakers Want to Prevent Water Shutoffs

The Michigan Public Radio Network

A group of state House Democrats hopes to prevent the state’s largest water utility from ending service to one of the cities it serves. 

The city of Highland Park owes the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department $20 million in unpaid water bills. DWSD has threatened to shut off water to the city if the money isn’t paid. Marian Kramer is with the National Welfare Rights Union. She was among dozens of people who came to the state Capitol to speak out against water shutoffs in and around Detroit, as well as water contamination issues in Flint.

“This is war that has been declared on us, and we’re drawing the line,”

said Kramer.

“Water is a human right,”

said Mary Ellen Howard, a nurse from Detroit.

“But I’ve come to the conclusion that the people of the city of Detroit are not considered human”

State Rep. Christine Greig (D-Farmington Hills) says water shutoffs and contamination are becoming too common across Michigan.

“This is not a Detroit issue, a Highland Park issue, a Flint issue – this is a Michigan issue,” said Greig. “And it is a human right and we need to fix this.”

State Rep. LaTanya Garrett (D-Detroit) wants to introduce a bill this week to prevent a city-wide shutoff in Highland Park for unpaid bills. The group also plans to introduce other bills, including one that would require water meter audits to make sure people are being charged fairly.

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