It’s hard to wash your hands frequently when you don’t have running water in the house. And for over 3,000 households in Detroit, Michigan whose water has been shut off for nonpayment of bills, this is a particularly bad time to be without water.
To rectify the situation, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) announced on Monday that the city is restoring water to thousands of households if customers are willing to pay $25 a month, with the city paying the first month.
By doing this, the city will restore service and prevent new service interruptions. People who don’t have water service will need to call 313-386-9727 starting on Wednesday for immediate enrollment in the plan.
“The notion that a City could shut off water on people in the midst of a potentially infectious disease epidemic—really EVER—is unconscionable,” former Detroit health director Abdul El-Sayed said in a statement.
Last month, when the issue came up, Governor Gretchen Whitmer rejected a moratorium on shutting off the water. On Monday, she issued a statement saying restoring service is “the right thing to do to keep families safe and protect public health.”
There are currently no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state, but people are encouraged to wash their hands often for at least 20 seconds or more with soap and water, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.
