Pushing with CUSHingberry to Provide Afforable Water to Detroit Residents

by Friends of Cushingberry

The Water Residential Assistance Program (WRAP) launching March 1, will provide qualifying customers at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty threshold, with help in paying current and past-due water bills. WRAP is a Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) regional program offered in several counties including Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb. The program will be administered through the Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency in Detroit.

Eligible DWSD customers will receive a $25 monthly bill credit with any arrearages frozen for 12 months. Customers who successfully make their monthly payments for one year will receive an additional credit of up to $700 applied toward their arrears.

In addition, qualifying residents with water usage exceeding 20 percent of the average household water consumption in the city, are eligible for a free home water conservation audit. Based on the audit, customers may receive up to an additional $1,000 for minor household plumbing repairs. 

Participants may continue in the program for up to 24 months but must reapply annually.

The terms of the program which were recently approved by the GLWA board, will provide Detroit residents with approximately $1.5 million of the $4.5 million allocated for 126 municipalities in seven southeast Michigan counties. Approximately 44,000 of Detroit’s 175,000 residential water accounts are on a payment plan, up from 9,000 a year ago. Residents on the plan are not subject to shutoff.

To apply for the WRAP, residents may call Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency (on or after March 1) at 313.386.WRAP (9727) or visit the website at www.waynemetro.org/wrap

Statement on the Flint Michigan Water Crisis

by Friends of  Councilmember Pro-Tem George Cushingberry Jr.

We strongly encouraging US Attorney General Loretta Lynch, US Attorney Barbara McQuade, and Attorney General Bill Schuette to intervene on behalf of the Citizens of Flint Michigan with, a court order to immediately switch the water supply back to the Detroit Water and Sewer Department (DWSD). 

This conduct is an extreme threat to the health and quality of life for the citizens, especially the children.  

The switch to pump water from the Flint River is an act of negligence and, will cost the State of Michigan millions in lawsuit settlements for health reasons. Therefore we are strongly encouraging State and Federal officials to investigate, repair the water quality, and prosecute possible wrongdoing on the people of Flint Michigan.

Solutions to Water Operating Expenses and Rates - Public Meeting July 7 & 8 2015 - City Hall

by Richard Clement

DWSD Master Plan for Detroit

Meetings regarding Detroit's water rates will be held on July 8^th and 9^th at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center on the 13^th floor.   Time will be 2pm Wednesday and TBA on Thursday. While addressing the budget shortfall regarding the water rates, other alternatives and construction projects needed that will improve the public good will be discussed. Suggestions like turning liquid waste water into drinking water and creating fertilizer from solid waste products are some ideas that will offset the expenses of providing clean water. Cities in Michigan like Lansing Michigan has a sewer/rain water separation project that has cleaned up the environment. (Lansing Michigan CSO sewage separation project)

Examples are Cities like Milwaukee Wisconsin that create a  fertilizer project by the name of Milogranite (Wiki Definition)  that they sell at the local Home Depot,  and other hardware stores.

Cash from Sewer Waste: Milwaukee's Best! www.milogranite.com 

If we can have water filtration systems in the Space Station for Astronauts, we can use this same technology in Detroit.  There is a company in Israel that has a process of converting water from air (click here to see water from air).  Otherwise, they convert their liquid waste into water because they live in a desert that is not near a fresh water source like the Great Lakes. (click here to see water created from waste) The Great Lakes has 40% of the worlds fresh water and people in Texas and California would love to build a pipeline to Michigan to use it.

Water is an issue so much that the old Johnson Recreation Center in Detroit MI has to be rebuilt because of the 1950’s plumbing inside of it that cost the City of Detroit one million dollars a month to operate.

Therefore, If you want your voice to be heard, stay tuned to Council member Pro Tem Cushingberry, and the Detroit City Council for more information or watch City Council live stream on Demand (Click Here to watch City of Detroit TV)

Rain Water Management will Save our Detroit Sewer System from being Overloaded

By Richard Clement

"Rain Water and Solar Power will create a lot of green jobs"
  - A District 2 resident daydreaming in Science Class at Mumford High School

Water Use is Critical 

In the not too distant future, City of Detroit homeowners will be required to remove the downspout that connects gutters to the sewer line by law.  Failure to comply may result in a fine as a last resort measure. However there will be opportunity to come into compliance with a one-time credit of $100 on a residential water bill.  All of this is very preliminary and will be based on public input on how to help residents to comply with these necessary changes to their home.

Currently when a large amount of rain falls on the Southeastern Region (Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties) the rain water from homes combines with sewage and overflows the system. To reduce the volume of water going into the Sewer, citizens are encouraged disconnect their downspouts and redirect the water into rain barrels, and gardens.  For every square foot of your roof, equals 1 gallon of water. Doing this separates the rain water from the raw sewage system easing the load on the system.

As a part of Greening the Detroit neighborhoods, the Detroit Chapter of the Sierra Club(click here) is selling 55 gallon rain barrel kits made from bio-degradable plastic.  The water captured from a homeowner’s roof is collected into the barrels until filled. Some setups have TWO barrels because of their purpose for the water that is being collected.  An additional barrel can be connected by a 2 ft hose for overflow purposes.   Reports have it that these barrels fill quickly and people have used the water to wash their cars with.

Fire Up Detroit

When an ordinance is developed to compel change, great care and deference will be given to the citizens first. If you would like to have some input on how to compel residents to make the necessary changes, please share them with City Council and the Mayor’s office.

Detroit Water & Sewerage 10 Point Plan

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and Detroit Water & Sewerage Director Sue F. McCormick, along with a team of community partners today announced a 10-point plan that would allow DWSD to collect on overdue water bills while making it easier for customers to make payments, enter into payment arrangements and access financial assistance.

1. Waive turn on fees and late payment penalties
During the moratorium, which ends August 25th, the DWSD will waive turn-on fees for customers whose water has been shut of, as well as payment penalties.
2. Cut red tape
To simplify getting into a payment plan, customer only need to present a valid state ID. Once payment is made, service will be restored within 48 hours.
3. Extend hours at DWSD Customer Care Center
The DWSD has expanded hours at all of its CUstomer Care Centers, from 8a-6p Monday-Friday and 8a-3p on weekends to make sure customer service agents area available at all times. The DWSD has also added staff to reduce wait times.
4. Increase staffing at call centers and extend hours
DWSD has also expanded hours at its Call Center to 8a-7p daily and 8a-3p on weekends. Starting August 18th, the Call center will have 50 percent more staff and new phone technology to better serve customers.
5. Cobo Water Fair August 23rd
A Water Affordability Fair will be held at Cobo Center on Saturday, August 23rd. to give customers one last opportunity to connect with all of the DWSD and community resources available to them before the moratorium ends August 25th.
6. Improve notification for customers in danger of shut off
The DWSD is expanding its efforts to communicate with customers who are late on their payments or may be facing shut-off. Bills will more clearly explain their status and assistance information will be included with the bill. Workers also will hand-deliver notices to all homes in shut-off status one week before their scheduled shut-off to give them time to enter into a payment plan.
7. Implement an affordable payment plan
Any resident with a delinquent account can enter into a 24-month “10/30/50” payment plan by coming to their local DWSD Customer Care Center, showing a valid state ID and paying down only 10 percent of their past-due balance. (The previous down payment requirement was 30 percent of the past-due balance.) If a customer misses a payment, they can reapply for the program by putting down 30 percent of their past-due balance. A second missed payment will require a 50 percent down payment of their past-due amount. Any customer who misses a third payment will no longer be eligible for the payment plan.
8. Provide financial assistance for low income Detroit customers
Starting August 11th DWSD Customer Care Centers will begin processing applications for the Detroit Water Fund. By paying down only 10 percent of their past-due balance, eligible city residents will receive up to 25 percent assistance with their bill from the new Detroit Water Fund. DWSD has partnered with the United Way for Southeastern Michigan, which will prequalify residents. To be eligible for Detroit Water Fund assistance, customers must be Detroit residents who:
• Have an outstanding balance between $300 and $1000; AND
• Maintain Average Water Usage for their household size; AND
• Are either enrolled in DTE’s Low Income Self-Sufficiency Plan (LSP); OR,
• Have income at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level (for example, a family of 4 must have an annual income below $35,775).
9. Build neighborhood partnerships
DWSD customers are not alone. We’ve established a support network to assist individuals who may not qualify for some of the DWSD assistance programs. Our partners include United Way 211, THAW, WAVE and Wayne Metro.
10. Provide a clear way to give
Many people have offered to help Detroiters who are struggling to pay their water bills. There are several ways to donate to the Detroit Water Fund: online, by text message, by check or by phone. Details are available at www.DetroitWaterFund.org.

Delinquent Water Bills

The Detroit Water & Sewerage Department has a policy of shutting off water service when bills are 45 days past due, but the majority of residential balances are over six months old.

Roughly $1 million of the biggest delinquent water bills belong to:

City of Detroit Public Fold Course at Palmer Park (owes $422,295)
VA Hospital (owes $131,096.28)
Joe Louis Arena(owes $80,255.25)
Apartment Building on W.Chicago (owes $71,621.87)
Eastern Market (owes $60,911)
Ford Field (owes $55,803)
Abandoned Homes (owes $47,075.09)
Properties on Coyle (owes $41,200.10)

In addition to these delinquencies, more than $20 million is past due on commercial and industrial accounts. Detroit Public Schools is responsible for about 20% of that figure; they owe $3.8 million.
According to the emergency manger, Kevyn Orr, Detroit was losing an average of 24,000 residents a year between 2000 and 2010. Consequently, many of these previously lived in homes are now vacant. Abandoned properties account for nearly 20% of houses in the city of Detroit, so it is very possible that thousands of accounts represent tenant free homes.

As a resident of the City of Detroit if you cannot afford to pay your water and sewer bill, the Detroit Residential Water Assistance Program (DRWAP)may be of service. To qualify for financial assistance, customers need to:
be a Detroit resident
be faced with shut off or pending shut off of their water or sewer service
be at or below 200-percent of current Federal Government Poverty Levels
need to be living in a single-family dwelling and responsible for paying their water bill on a monthly basis

Please contact the DHS Community Service Center in your area for more information on this program.