{"id":5239,"date":"2019-03-22T13:18:07","date_gmt":"2019-03-22T13:18:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/senatedems.com\/chang\/?p=5239"},"modified":"2019-03-22T13:18:07","modified_gmt":"2019-03-22T13:18:07","slug":"michigan-senators-fight-for-clean-affordable-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.senatedems.com\/chang\/2019\/03\/22\/michigan-senators-fight-for-clean-affordable-water\/","title":{"rendered":"Michigan senators fight for clean, affordable water"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

LANSING \u2014 Detroit-area Sens. Stephanie Chang<\/strong> (D-Detroit), Betty Jean Alexander<\/strong> (D-Detroit), Jeff Irwin<\/strong> (D-Ann Arbor) and Paul Wojno<\/strong> (D-Warren) have introduced legislation to establish shutoff protections, create an affordability plan for water, and decriminalize water reconnection for World Water Day, which is celebrated on March 22.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cToo many Michigan residents are struggling to access clean, affordable water, and that is why this week, for World Water Day, we are reigniting the discussion on this legislation here in the Great Lakes State,\u201d Sen. Chang said. \u201cThese bills will help families deal with many of the issues surrounding water affordability and billing, and the importance of water access to health and public safety. Water is a human right, and we hope to make progress on this issue for our residents.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People in Detroit have seen their water bills rise 65 percent from 2010 to 2018, which has resulted in families paying nearly $1,200 a year in water bills<\/a> \u2014 which is among the highest in the country. On top of that, families that can\u2019t afford their water bills because of other astronomical expenses \u2014 such as car insurance \u2014 face water shutoffs at alarming rates. Shutoffs across Detroit have resulted in blocks with water shutoffs experiencing higher incidence of illnesses compared to blocks without water shutoffs, as found in a 2017 study by the Henry Ford Global Health Initiative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEveryone in Michigan deserves the right to clean and affordable drinking water,\u201d Sen. Alexander said. \u201cWhether a family lives in the Upper Peninsula, Flint, Detroit, or anywhere in-between, we must ensure that our water infrastructure is offering clean, safe, and affordable water.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Water affordability continues to grow as a critical problem across the country. In 2017, a Michigan State University study found that with water rates rising, conservative projections show that the number of American households who will find water rates unaffordable could triple to 35.6 percent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Legislation introduced so far includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n