Gov. Gretchen Whitmer calls for water reconnections statewide, establishes fund to help communities comply via Michigan.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 28, 2020 EGLE Contact: McDiarmidJrH@michigan.gov Gov Contact: BrownT56@michigan.gov Gov. Gretchen Whitmer calls for water reconnections statewide, establishes fund to help communities comply Clean water for sanitation essential to protection from COVID-19 virus LANSING, MICH – Gov. Gretchen Whitmer took strong steps today to ensure at-risk households have access to clean water for hand washing and sanitation through an […]
Water Shutoffs in Sharp Focus Amid Coronavirus Outbreak via @NYTimes

DETROIT — The advice is simple and universal: Washing your hands with soap and water is one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of the coronavirus. But for millions of people across the country, that’s not simple at all: They lack running water in their houses due to service shutoffs prompted by […]
Coronavirus makes even finding water to help the needy a struggle in Detroit via @BridgeMichigan

DETROIT — At St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood, dozens of volunteers gathered this week to unload a truck full of water bottles to distribute to those whose water remains off in the city. The center is one of three Detroit water service stations staffed by volunteers, and all have quickly exhausted their […]
Detroiters Without Water Face Tough Odds, Even With Coronavirus Aid via @WDET

“People are already dealing with job loss so this is just compounding on other crises in their life,” says Elin Betanzo, founder of Safe Water Engineering.
‘It’s just despair’: Many Americans face coronavirus with no water to wash their hands via @NBCNews

“The city of Detroit shut off her water late last fall because of unpaid bills and a broken plumbing valve that she couldn’t afford to fix. Griffin, 55, was forced to rely on donated bottled water to drink, cook and bathe. She used space heaters to warm her home; without running water, the boiler didn’t […]
Opinion: Water access urgent in Detroit during outbreak – Elin Betanzo and Sylvia Orduño via @DetNews

You can’t wash your hands if your water has been shut off. Detroiters who have been fighting for a moratorium on water shutoffs for years finally received good news when Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced a plan to stop shutoffs and directed the City of Detroit to reconnect water service for all residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. […]