Michiganders are struggling to pay their water bills. Why? Because the government stopped funding water infrastructure and shifted all the costs onto you, the customer. This shift resulted in crumbling infrastructure and skyrocketing costs. At the end of the day, rate hikes and water shutoffs aren't going to deliver affordable, clean water to Michigan.
We have a path out of this mess, thanks to Senator Stephanie Chang’s Water Affordability Package, which will catalyze the shift toward funding real water affordability for Michiganders.
OPINION: Michigan must come together to sustain water affordability for all
Bridge Magazine, January 14, 2024
By: Senator Stephanie Chang, Senator Rosemary Bayer, Representative Donavan McKinney
We have the opportunity to ensure every Michigan resident can turn on their tap and know that clean and safe drinking water will flow out. The Sierra Club supports this package of bills, which includes:
- SB 549/HB 5088: Low-income residential water affordability program
- SB 550/HB 5089: Funding source ($2 per meter monthly fee)
- SB 551/HB 5090: Shutoff protections
- SB 554/HB 5091: Tenant submetering
- SB 552-553/HB 5092-5093: Decriminalize water reconnections
- SB 25: Human right to water