Shutoff: Detroit's Water War

[snooper2]

VICE

Earlier this year, Detroit's Water and Sewerage Department began turning off water utilities for overdue or delinquent accounts. Since April, the department has cut off the water for nearly 3,000 households per week — meaning roughly 100,000 Motor City residents are without water. Entrenched at the bottom of Detroit's current economic crisis, many of those without water are the city's poorest resident.

The city’s shut-off campaign has garnered international press attention, and has been called “an affront to human rights” by representatives of the United Nations.

VICE News traveled to Detroit to see first-hand how residents are dealing with the water shut-offs, speak with local government representatives about the issue, and discuss possible resolutions with activist groups.

[historylovr]

1. K & R

[badtoworse]

2. Detroit doesn't have a pot to piss in.

Where are they supposed to get the money to provide free water to people who don't pay their bill?

[DireStrike]

4. Agreed. Let them dehydrate. It's the only reasonable solution.

Maybe some of them could volunteer to provide the liquid from their own bodies in exchange for future water to their loved ones. I bet some percentage of parents would sign up for that.

[badtoworse]

5. You can't operate the system without money. That is indisputable.

If someone or some other government entity steps forward and funds Detroit's water department, then providing free water is doable. Absent that, what option do they have?

[DireStrike]

8. Water needs to become a national issue if localities can't handle it.

This is one of the basic rights issues which demands a solution from any quarter. Water isn't a luxury.

[Crunchy Frog]

9. How are they going to deal with a potential cholera outbreak?

[nilesobek]

3. Most water systems were built decades ago and have already been paid for.

Water companies have become a for-profit industry. Most of the money is collected using interest in order to pay executive salaries and also to maintain the system. The systems should be nationalized and water should be free. This country should be ashamed of itself. Remember Libya? They had free water, gasoline and food until Gaddafi took a bayonet in the buttocks.

Capitalism has become a cult within the consumer cult.

[badtoworse]

6. Do some research. Detroit's water system is owned by the city

[davidpdx]

7. Bookmarking to watch tomorrow

Vice has done some great reporting.