Lower-income households in Michigan would qualify for help with access to safe and affordable water under a package of bills introduced Wednesday in the Legislature.
The long-negotiated legislation has bipartisan support, which matters with a House controlled by Republicans and a Senate controlled by Democrats. Senator John Damoose (R-Harbor Springs) is one of the sponsors.
“It protects vulnerable citizens from having their water shut off, it allows local communities to maintain their water systems, and it provides funding in a way that is fair to northern Michigan communities and urban areas as well,” he said in a written statement.
The legislation includes measures to assist with forgiveness of past-due bills, help with plumbing repairs, and direct financial assistance to help pay water bills. The legislation would allow local water utilities to opt out of the state program if they offer their own assistance plans.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re in a rural, urban or suburban area,” said Senator Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit). “This is something that affects every area of the state when it comes to affordable water bills.”
Chang said a Michigan water affordability program would be similar in many respects to the popular state program that offers assistance to lower-income households for energy costs.
Funding for the water program would come from a $1.25 per month surcharge on each residential metered water account, which increase by 25 cents annually for three years. That is a lower fee than an earlier version of the legislation that stalled.
The program would not entirely meet the need of ensuring affordable water access across the state, said Maggie Pallone with Public Sector Consultants, a think tank that studied affordable water access in Michigan. But, she said, it would go a long way toward reaching that goal. She said her group looked at households within 200% of the federal poverty level.
“That’s about 371,000 households that could qualify,” she said. “If you start doing the math on that, the total need is about $160 million with an average annual payment of $435.”
Chang said public health and safety is also at stake.
“This is not only a financial issue for people who struggle to pay their bills,” she said. “It’s also a public health concern as well, because if when you get your water shut off that can have some pretty severe health impacts not only for you but your neighbors.”
Chang said the plan is to begin public hearings soon with a goal of getting a bill to Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s desk by the end of the year.
