Canadians Quench Thirst of Detroiters Who Lost Water with 1,000 Liters

By Courtney Bledsoe

Seven cars carrying 750 gallons of Canadian water drove through the Detroit-Windsor tunnel in an effort to get water to those whose supplies have been cut off Thursday, according to The Detroit Free Press.

Water rights activist, Maude Barlow was joined by other activist to distribute the water as an act of solidarity and to send the message that water is a basic human right.

“What that means is that every country in the world is responsible for looking after their most vulnerable people,” said Barlow, chairwoman of the Council of Canadians. “It means that every country in the world is not allowed to turn the tap off of water that is already being delivered and it means that nobody has the right to say no to water for people who cannot afford it.”   

The city of Detroit shut off the water for thousands of its residents for unpaid water bills in the last few months. More than 17,000 Detroit households lost water and sewer service as a result.

The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department is cracking down on customers whose accounts are delinquent to clear $91 million in unpaid bills. Nearly 89,000 residents are more than 60 days late paying their bill or are $150 behind on bill payments.

The protests have been going on for more than a week, and Canada is the latest to raise its flag in support of Detroit residents.

More than 1,000 people gathered from across the U.S. to protest the shutoffs last Friday. Homrich Wrecking Inc., the company completing shutoffs and restoring service, experienced disgruntled protesters as they blocked the dispatch center, which ended with several arrests.

The animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is also offering to pay 10 residents’ water bills, with the caveat that they become vegan for a month, reports The Detroit News.

Although residents have been given a 15-day grace period to take advantage of the payment plans that the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department is offering, many residents are steamed that water service was interrupted.

“What the department did is not adequate,” said attorney Alice Jennings, who is representing several Detroit residents in a lawsuit filed against the city. Jennings said that although the department has decided on a 15-day delay in further cut-offs, her clients won’t reconsider legal action.