Welcome to the Water Resources Commissioner’s blog on Water Affordability. I am Demar Byas, and I’ve worked for WRC for the past 10 years. In March of 2022, I was promoted to be the office’s first Water Affordability Coordinator. In my role, I attend public meetings and events to educate residents, organizations, and community leaders about the affordability plans that are available to assist customers, as well as our continued efforts to create a statewide water affordability plan.

Current estimates show that nearly one in 10 Michigan families struggle with water affordability. Affordability can be described as follows:

• Household-level affordability refers to a household’s ability to pay for its water and sewer services without undue economic hardship, such as sacrificing other essential goods and services, e.g., health care, food, insurance, for access to water.
• Community-level affordability refers to the community’s ability to afford water and sewer utility facilities and their operation and maintenance costs so that it delivers consistent and reliable water services that are compliant with health and environment laws and regulations.

In my blog posts, I will explore the pressing concerns of water affordability, such as definitions of affordability and why it’s a critical issue and potential solutions to ensure that every individual, regardless of their economic situation, can quench their thirst without breaking the bank. I will also report on how we developed our Hardship Assistance Program, as well state legislation that’s going forward to potentially create a state-wide water affordability plan. Join us on this journey to understand the complexities of water affordability and the steps we can take to address this essential human right.

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The Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner’s Office is dedicated to protecting public health and safety, preserving natural resources and a healthy environment, maintaining reliable, high-quality service, ensuring the value of investment and contributing to economic prosperity. To learn more about the Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner Jim Nash’s Office and his work, follow along with them on Facebook and LinkedIn.

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