Today, in partnership with the University of Detroit Mercy Environmental Law Clinic, the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center submitted comments critiquing Michigan’s Adaptive Management Plan for Lake Erie. This Plan describes how Michigan plans to reduce the nutrient pollution flowing to Lake Erie in an effort to limit the intensity and frequency of toxic algae blooms that have plagued the Western Basin for the past several summers.
Lake Erie has struggled with water quality issues for almost 60 years, and in recent years the lake has experienced persistent and intense cyanobacteria blooms. Currently, agricultural run-off is a primary driver of Lake Erie’s severe algae blooms, but, rather than address the agricultural pollution, Michigan has focused on requiring upgrades to wastewater treatment plants to limit combined sewer overflows. In 1996, the City of Detroit began to implement a “Long-Term Combined Sewer Overflow Control Program” to address the discharge of untreated wastewater, resulting from storms, into local rivers. To date, more than $1.2 billion has been spent to control sewage overflows. Detroit ratepayers have been responsible for 83% of the cost of these controls. The City of Detroit has periodically had to revise the program as several reports have shown that the increasing rates have been a high burden to residents of the City of Detroit.
The City of Detroit combines water and sewer charges for its residents, essentially creating one bill. If a ratepayer cannot afford any portion of their water or sewer bill, they are at risk of having their water service shutoff. As funding has been funneled into updating city wastewater treatment centers, sewer and water charges have spiked for Detroit residents. In 2014, the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) discontinued service for up to 27,000 customers behind on their payments. Detroiters often pay up to 10% to 20% of their earnings on their water bill, while the EPA recommends water bills cost no more than 4.5% of a household’s earning. A 2018 University of Michigan study found that to pay their water bill, Detroit households made substantial sacrifices: over 80% cut back on their rent or property tax, 82% cut back on their clothing purchases, 63% cut back on produce purchases, and 40% cut back on medicine purchases. Increasing rates have forced many Detroiters to reduce spending on basic necessities, affecting physical health, mental and emotional health, and financial wellbeing. Low-income households have been hit particularly hard, often paying over 13% of their monthly income for water, forcing them to sacrifice other basic needs. There are assistance programs in place, but data shows they are widely insufficient.
As low-income and urban residents have been forced to pay for pollution reductions, agriculture has largely been left alone. It was not until 2016 that Michigan even put forth a plan to address agricultural pollution in Lake Erie. Furthermore, the plan put forth relies on entirely voluntary action, which is then rewarded through state or federal subsidies. While rural and suburban communities have been compensated for addressing pollution, low-income and communities of color in Detroit have been forced to pay for wastewater plant renovations. This has effectively created a system where urban communities of color have subsidized rural and suburban areas’ ability to continue with their status quo.