Choosing a Different Water Future

Remember the water crisis?...

It has been more than a decade since the water crisis in Detroit, when the water department shut off water to more than 120,000 households, essentially cutting families off from the life-sustaining resource they simply could not afford. For many, it was a breaking point. For our city, it should have been a turning point.

Yet here we are, still grappling with the same fundamental question: Will we continue to treat water like a commodity or learn from the past and treat it as a human right?

Since those earlier years of mass shutoffs, Detroiters have lived through multiple public health emergencies that made one thing painfully clear: access to water is essential for maintaining a healthy community.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, public health officials—from the Centers for Disease Control to local and state governments—reaffirmed what communities have long known, that handwashing, sanitation, and hygiene are non-negotiable for survival.

But COVID-19 was not the first warning sign.

In 2016, at the height of Detroit’s water shutoffs, Metro Detroit experienced a Hepatitis A outbreak, a disease primarily prevented through proper handwashing and sanitation. The lesson was clear then, too. When people lose access to water, the consequences extend far beyond individual households.

Despite these hard-earned lessons, Detroit shut off water to nearly 1,000 families in December 2025, during the winter months, when freezing temperatures create additional risks to homes and the health of its residents. At the same time, COVID-era protections are expiring, and families are once again struggling to keep up with rising water costs over the long term.

Detroit’s Lifeline Plan, a tiered assistance program that allowed households to pay water bills as low as $18 per month, has run out of funding. As a result, nearly 30,000 residents were removed from the program, leaving families vulnerable to water shutoffs and mounting debt.

This is not a failure of families. It is a policy failure.

When households lose access to water, the impacts are devastating and immediate. Families cannot safely cook, clean, or maintain sanitation in their homes. Children face barriers to attending school. Seniors and people with chronic illnesses face increased health risks. Households are pushed deeper into debt and housing instability. And entire communities face increased public health threats.

Water shutoffs don’t solve affordability, but they do compound harm to underserved community members.

At We the People of Detroit, our stance is clear. No one should lose access to water because they are poor.

We are calling on local and state decision-makers to stand on the right side of history. To stand for justice, dignity, and public health. Local municipality leaders can act now by passing ordinances that codify the human right to water and require water service providers to uphold it.

But local solutions are not enough. We are also proud members of the Water Equals Life Coalition, advocating for comprehensive, statewide solutions that address water affordability at its root. The Affordable Water Now legislative package, led by Emily Dievendorf, would establish a sustainable system to ensure clean, safe, and affordable water for every Michigander, especially for seniors, people with disabilities, and communities that have been chronically underserved.

We know that temporary assistance programs are not enough. The Affordable Water Now Package is a permanent affordability solution.

As we kick off this new year, it is apparent that we must learn from history and choose a different future. A future where families are not punished for being poor, public health is protected, not compromised, and water flows from every tap. No exceptions.

You can play a role in shaping this future. Here are some ways you can join the movement:

• Encourage your legislators to support the Affordable Water Now package

• Sign the Water Affordability Pledge and urge others to do the same

• Like and share our content

• Stay engaged and help hold decision-makers accountable

Water is essential for life. And ensuring access to it is a choice we must make, together. 

Here’s to another year in the fight for water justice!