Municipalities across Michigan are preparing to follow Governor Whitmer’s order to restore any disconnected water service to homes as a way to help fight the COVID-19 virus.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer noted that washing hands is a critical step in stopping the spread of COVID-19. The state is creating a two million dollar fund to help utilities re-connect water to homes where it’s been turned off.
Water shutoffs have been a flashpoint in Detroit for a half-dozen years, when the city began turning off taps to thousands of residents for non-payment of past due bills. Some advocates argued water was a right, not a privilege.
Detroit officials recently offered to re-connect water for a discounted fee of 25 dollars a month. Officials fear hospitals in Detroit could soon be overwhelmed by a flood of patients suffering from COVID-19.