More than a decade after Detroit’s water shutoff crisis left thousands of families without running water, Michigan lawmakers and advocates are again pushing for stronger affordability protections.

A new federal proposal backed by U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., would create a permanent water assistance program through the Environmental Protection Agency for struggling households nationwide.

Yasmin Zaerpoor, director of water equity and client resilience at PolicyLink, an organization working with Tlaib on the proposal, shared findings from the EPA’s latest report on water affordability.

"Estimated that 30 (million) to 48 million people in the United States live in households that face unaffordable water bills," she said. "and we know that these numbers will increase for a variety of factors."

The proposed legislation includes protections against late fees and shutoffs for qualifying households. But opponents of large federal assistance programs argue the cost could ultimately fall on taxpayers, while local utilities are already struggling with aging infrastructure and costly system upgrades.

Still, supporters say Detroit’s experience highlights a larger national problem, warning that rising costs and deteriorating infrastructure are putting affordable water further out of reach for many.

Zaerpoor contended that the nation’s water systems need major in investments, especially as costs continue to rise because of factors such as climate change.

"And it's going to become increasingly more expensive," she said, "both from a financial perspective and from a public health perspective and moral and dignity perspective to improve these water systems."

National experts say water bills in many communities have been rising faster than inflation for decades, driven largely by aging infrastructure and system upgrades.

Source: Public News Service