Canadians Planning to deliver water to Detroiters whose water is shut off

**canuck** · July-23-14, 11:26 AM

Originally Posted by Ray1936

My water source is Lake Mead. It's down 110 feet; its lowest level since 1937 when it started filling after completion of Hoover Dam [[okay, Boulder Dam for you Democrats). If you're sending water, send some out this way, will ya???

You know, there's a lot of truth in what you say. There are hundreds of aboriginal communities in Canada with low grade or non-existent water supply.

. The goodie-two-shoesness vis à vis the US is a pretty convenient diversion even if it comes from a good place. What irks me about the water problem in Detroit is that it is the last of many straws in the saga of socio-economic despondency. When I was young in the sixteen hundreds, the Spaniards [[guys and dolls) spent so much money on the silly frilly lace collars imported from the low countries that they bankrupted Spain. The more things stay the same, the more things change.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · July-23-14, 12:07 PM

Perhaps instead of grandstanding, they can pitch in and actually help pay some of the bills? There is now a website that facilitates that.

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2014/07/...ater-shutoffs/

**Honky Tonk** · July-23-14, 12:11 PM

Originally Posted by canuck

You know, there's a lot of truth in what you say. There are hundreds of aboriginal communities in Canada with low grade or non-existent water supply.

. The goodie-two-shoesness vis à vis the US is a pretty convenient diversion even if it comes from a good place. What irks me about the water problem in Detroit is that it is the last of many straws in the saga of socio-economic despondency. When I was young in the sixteen hundreds, the Spaniards [[guys and dolls) spent so much money on the silly frilly lace collars imported from the low countries that they bankrupted Spain. The more things stay the same, the more things change.

WOW, 22" frilly lace collars. I read when they stopped to talk to someone, the collars kept spinning. Are you going to be there passing out bottles of water tonight, canuck?

**canuck** · July-23-14, 12:29 PM

I wish. My excuse is I'm not from Windsor. I bought an old house [[1875) in Montreal in January and the plumbing was entirely redone except for the leadpipe from the house to the street. I consequently have to filter drinking water with a Brita jug. I had too many expenses to rip up the damned sidewalk, etc.I can now indulge in a coupla brewskis knowing that it is a question of life and death.

**Wesley Mouch** · July-23-14, 06:51 PM

Originally Posted by DetroiterOnTheWestCoast

Perhaps instead of grandstanding, they can pitch in and actually help pay some of the bills? There is now a website that facilitates that.

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2014/07/...ater-shutoffs/

You know, DOTWC, this has nothing to do with actually helping people. This is a fight against privatization.

And I agree with them, in principle. Water Boards should not be privately run. But like Charter Schools, they are indeed the worst solution -- except for the current broken system which is worse.

Privatization stinks. Almost as much as our current DWSD, but not quite as badly.

**erikd** · July-30-14, 08:06 AM

Originally Posted by Wesley Mouch

You know, DOTWC, this has nothing to do with actually helping people. This is a fight against privatization.

And I agree with them, in principle. Water Boards should not be privately run. But like Charter Schools, they are indeed the worst solution -- except for the current broken system which is worse.

Privatization stinks. Almost as much as our current DWSD, but not quite as badly.

The water shut offs have nothing to do with privatization. This is a direct result of the breakdown in negotiations with the suburbs to create a regional water authority.

One of the main sticking points in the negotiations is the abysmal DWSD collection rates in the city.

Negotiations with the suburbs broke off in March, and on April 3rd, the the Oakland County Board of Commissioners' finance committee voted unanimously to create a $3 million fund to study developing an independent water and sewer entity.

“Everybody in the north rim of the system is already leaving,” including Flint and its suburbs in Genesee County and the city of Lapeer in Lapeer County, which are building their own water-treatment facilities, said Dennis Green of Farmington Hills, retired head water systems engineer for the Detroit Water & Sewerage Department. “The dominoes are falling, one by one. The real problem is that half of the people in the city of Detroit aren’t paying their bills, and that’s forcing rates up for everybody else,” Green said. An analysis released last year by Detroit bankruptcy officials showed a non-collectionrate

of nearly 50% for DWSD customers within the city of Detroit, and it showed that customers in Highland Park at that time owed nearly $20 million in unpaid bills to the system.
http://www.freep.com/article/20140624/NEWS02/306240025/grosse-pointe-park-water-system

If DWSD doesn't find a way to increase collection rates in the city, there is a real possibility that a very large percentage of DWSD customers will build their own water systems, and leave DWSD completely unable to sustain itself.