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In reply to the discussion: Detroit tells judge: We can't give away free water [View all]bl968
(360 posts)60. The problem is
Access to clean drinking water is a human right. While the Detroit water system does not have to pipe water into people's homes for free, they do have to provide reasonably accessible public locations where people can come to fill up water containers at no cost.
On 28 July 2010, through Resolution 64/292, the United Nations General Assembly explicitly recognized the human right to water and sanitation and acknowledged that clean drinking water and sanitation are essential to the realisation of all human rights.
In November 2002, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights adopted General Comment No. 15 on the right to water. Article I.1 states that "The human right to water is indispensable for leading a life in human dignity. It is a prerequisite for the realization of other human rights". Comment No. 15 also defined the right to water as the right of everyone to sufficient, safe, acceptable and physically accessible and affordable water for personal and domestic uses.
How are how those terms defined by the UN...
What is...?
Sufficient. The water supply for each person must be sufficient and continuous for personal and domestic uses. These uses ordinarily include drinking, personal sanitation, washing of clothes, food preparation, personal and household hygiene. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), between 50 and 100 litres of water per person per day are needed to ensure that most basic needs are met and few health concerns arise.
Safe. The water required for each personal or domestic use must be safe, therefore free from micro-organisms, chemical substances and radiological hazards that constitute a threat to a person's health. Measures of drinking-water safety are usually defined by national and/or local standards for drinking-water quality. The World Health Organization (WHO) Guidelines for drinking-water quality provide a basis for the development of national standards that, if properly implemented, will ensure the safety of drinking-water.
Acceptable. Water should be of an acceptable colour, odour and taste for each personal or domestic use. [...] All water facilities and services must be culturally appropriate and sensitive to gender, lifecycle and privacy requirements.
Physically accessible. Everyone has the right to a water and sanitation service that is physically accessible within, or in the immediate vicinity of the household, educational institution, workplace or health institution. According to WHO, the water source has to be within 1,000 metres of the home and collection time should not exceed 30 minutes.
Affordable. Water, and water facilities and services, must be affordable for all. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) suggests that water costs should not exceed 3 per cent of household income.
So if people do not have income then the water must be provided for free and in Detroit that is the case for 23% of the population.
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If you think the costs of water are tough, try a dysentery or cholera epidemic! n/t
TygrBright
Sep 2014
#1
Ironic that this water problem is engineered by the same people who want to repeal the ACA
Jack Rabbit
Sep 2014
#4
I don't believe Mike Duggan is a Koch patsy trying to screw the citizens of Detroit
FrodosPet
Sep 2014
#45
We subsidize school lunch, maybe need to subsidize water as well. Provide each house with
jtuck004
Sep 2014
#2
I don't know any renter in any state that pays water, it used to be such a small amount that it was
hollysmom
Sep 2014
#97
Excellent. I also live in such a system. But some landlords turned over billing to private firms.
freshwest
Sep 2014
#46
VICE did a story on this, if everyone watched what I posted they would be informed
snooper2
Sep 2014
#78
I don't hate it, just being realistic...They need to have a massive relocation project
snooper2
Sep 2014
#81
I wasn't actually making that case. I just feel that Detroit's dilemma is not the fault of the
freshwest
Sep 2014
#35
That happened after they were getting lashed about it, by the public then the UN.
Dont call me Shirley
Sep 2014
#72
If they just plainly said, "We want poor people to die," they would be laughed out of court
shenmue
Sep 2014
#15
If these people can't pay their water bills, how are they going to pay their property taxes? n/t
PoliticAverse
Sep 2014
#33
Canada used to be world renowned for high quality public utilities, water, gas, electricity,
Monk06
Sep 2014
#59
The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department is a branch of the City of Detroit government.
FrodosPet
Sep 2014
#64
My understanding is that the bankruptsy proceedings have put an appointed City Manager in charge
Monk06
Sep 2014
#67
Missed the existence of the mayor. I thought a state appointed city manager was in charge.
Monk06
Sep 2014
#94
Yes, as cold, even colder. How is this compliant with the UN resolution per bl968's post #60?
valerief
Sep 2014
#87
This is implied in Dmitry Orlov's view of soft (Soviet) vs hard (American) crashes
GliderGuider
Sep 2014
#84