In April, the city set a target of cutting service to 3,000 customers a week who were more than $150 behind on their bills. In May, the water department sent out 46,000 warnings and cut off service to 4,531.But cutting off water to people already living in poverty came under criticism last week from the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, whose experts said that Detroit was violating international standards by cutting off access to water. "When there is genuine inability to pay, human rights simply forbids disconnections," Catarina de Albuquerque, the office's expert on the human right to water and sanitation, said in the communique.LAtimes
We’re excited to let you know about a big win that happened today in Detroit: Control of the Detroit Water and Sewage Department has been returned back to the hands of the people. Your activism, energy and help in generating media attention at Netroots Nation played a big role here.