aljazeera | The city of Detroit was set to send out notices Monday to about
25,000 households with overdue water bills, giving them 10 days to seek
assistance from the city or lose water service.
The notices, in the form of fliers hanging from doorknobs, mark the latest chapter in the months-long saga of the Motor City’s bankruptcy. Making
sure Detroit’s poorest residents pay for their water has been a
priority for city officials, but threats of shutoffs have outraged
activists and attracted the attention of United Nations human rights advocates.
About 73,000 residential households were at least two months late on their water payments as of March 3, according to The Detroit Free Press.
Last summer the city created the Detroit Water Fund, a pool of money intended for those indebted to the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, according to The Detroit News. The fund is meant for people whose annual income is below 150 percent of the federal poverty threshold, or no more than $17,655 for an individual and $36,375 for a family of four.
"The bottom line is whether you are in that category or not, you need
to come in and get on a payment plan," Gary Brown, the city’s chief
operating officer, told The Detroit News.
"Then you will be assured that your water will not be cut off. If you
ignore billing, if you ignore the door knocker and don't come in and
get on a payment plan, then we don't know how to help you,” he said.
The notices apply to people who are at least 60 days late on their bills, The Detroit News reported.
