To: Michi

Water's a human right in Detroit, too!

As thousands of people go without water, and as the city moves to cut off services and jack up prices on tens of thousands more, Detroit non-profits appealed to the United Nations for fear of being literally dehydrated to death.

The call comes after a water rate increase of 119 percent over the past decade, and as the government threatens to shut off the water of almost 50,000 people for accounts that are past due — just as summer gets started.

It's past time for Michigan's governor to intervene, helping a city where the poor are starved even as water companies rake in the cash. We call on the state and local government to halt shut-offs, restore water services, and work to make water accessible and affordable for all!

Why is this important?

The UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Right Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation combats water scarcity in desert areas like sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East... and, apparently, Detroit.