| Cecily McClellan is co-founder of We the People of Detroit and directs the “water works” program, which provides water to Detroit area residents who can’t afford it. “When people can’t afford water, it becomes a health issue,” she said, “that affects the most vulnerable, especially young mothers.” Photo: J. Carl Ganter/ Circle of Blue The questions — the mental calculations for basic needs — are relentless. Can she go another day or two without doing laundry? Do those dishes need to be cleaned now or can they wait until tomorrow or the next day? Water conservation is a constant negotiation for Summer, a 58-year-old Oak Park resident. Unlike for most people, it’s also a survival strategy. Summer said she has to be stingy with water to make her monthly budget pencil out. Water, sewer, stormwater, and garbage collection are all part of the same bill. To keep it in the $120 range she washes clothes once a week, sometimes every other week. She receives a fixed income from disability payments. With all her other bills, waste is a luxury she can’t afford. “Well, it is stressful, of course, because you can’t really live a functional life without water,” said Summer, who did not want her real name to be used in order to keep her personal struggles private. “And you know, it puts you in a scary place, a stressful place, where you’re concerned that your water’s going to go off and if it goes off, you’re going to have to pay all of the reconnection fees.” Water rates are rising across Michigan as communities undertake long-needed upgrades to hobbled water, sewer, and drainage systems. These are necessary investments for the state’s future that nonetheless are exposing Summer and other low-income households to financial stress. | 