LANSING, Mich. (WOWO) — Advocates are urging Michigan lawmakers to approve a package of bills designed to make water more affordable for low-income households and provide additional protections against water shutoffs.
Members of the Water Equals Life Coalition took their concerns to the Michigan Capitol this week, saying rising household costs are making it increasingly difficult for some residents to keep up with water bills.
One of the proposals would establish an income-based rate program, tying a qualifying household’s water bill to its income. Supporters say the approach could help prevent families from losing essential water service because they cannot afford their bills.
The legislation is being sponsored by state Rep. Emily Dievendorf, D-Lansing, who has described water affordability as both an economic and public health issue. Dievendorf also told WILX that she has personally experienced having her water shut off because she could not pay the bill.
“This is a health problem that impacts all of us,” said Jill Ryan, co-founder of the Water Equals Life Coalition, according to WILX.
Ryan said water shutoffs are occurring in both rural and urban communities across Michigan.
Supporters also point to potential health consequences beyond the household that loses service. Ryan said research has found that people living on a block where one household has its water shut off can face a higher risk of communicable disease.
“People get sick. It turns out if you live on a block where one household is turned off from water, your chance of having a communicable disease doubles,” Ryan said, according to WNDU.
House Bill 4555, introduced in 2025, is formally known as the Water Affordability Act. The legislation would establish an income-based structure for qualifying residential water and sewer customers and includes provisions addressing water service interruptions. The bill also defines certain customers with medical conditions or communicable diseases as “critical care customers” who could face serious health or safety consequences if water service is interrupted.
The broader package is aimed at helping households whose income makes standard water rates difficult to manage. Supporters say families should not have to choose between paying a water bill and covering other basic expenses.
“The fact is if there’s no money in the bank, there’s no hole to dig into that would allow you to pay for those basic things,” Dievendorf said, according to WILX.
Michigan residents already have access to a state water assistance program. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says eligible households can receive help paying water and wastewater arrears, restoring service, preventing arrears and establishing affordability plans based on a household’s ability to pay.
The state program is available to qualifying residential customers generally under 200% of the federal poverty level, as well as people participating in certain public assistance programs. Eligible households can receive up to $3,000 in assistance per fiscal year, according to MDHHS.
The legislation under consideration would go beyond existing assistance by establishing a broader income-based approach to water rates and protections for qualifying customers.
Advocates say the issue is becoming more urgent as families deal with higher costs across the household budget. They are asking lawmakers to move the proposals forward before the November midterm election.
Lawmakers have said they hope to have the bills passed before voters head to the polls in November.
For advocates, the debate centers on maintaining access to a basic utility while addressing the financial strain facing Michigan households. They argue that preventing unaffordable water bills and shutoffs could provide both financial relief for families and broader public health protections.
