The Detroit News | By: Christine Ferretti | GPE – July 27, 2017:
Detroit — The city’s water department began the controversial practice of shutting off water service on Wednesday to some of the nearly 18,000 residential customers with delinquent accounts.
Originally published April 19, 2017: The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department shutoffs resumed after notices went out 10 days earlier, water department Director Gary Brown said.
It was unclear Wednesday how many residents had their water service disconnected.
While 17,995 households are vulnerable to having their water turned off, those residents who contact the water department prior to their scheduled shutoffs to make a payment or enter into an assistance plan will avoid being cut off — and most do, the water department noted.
And the number of delinquent accounts is down from the 24,302 facing a service interruption last April, according to water department figures. In April 2014, 40,000 were eligible for shutoff.
On Wednesday, Detroiter Carmen Booker attended the department’s board meeting to complain her water service was shut off although it wasn’t in delinquent status and she received no notice.
“My bill is not in shut-off status,” she said. “Why are you out here?”
By Wednesday afternoon, workers had arrived at her home to restore service, she said. Booker is disputing a recent water bill of more than $500, and she says it isn’t due until May 1.
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