http://www.democracynow.org - Activists in Detroit have appealed to the United Nations over the city's move to shut off the water of thousands of residents. The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department says half of its 323,000 accounts are delinquent and has begun turning off the taps of those who do not pay bills that total above $150 or that are 60 days late. Since March, up to 3,000 account holders have had their water cut off every week. The Detroit water authority carries an estimated $5 billion in debt and has been the subject of privatization talks. In a submission to the United Nations special rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation, activists say Detroit is trying to push through a private takeover of its water system at the expense of basic rights. We speak to Maureen Taylor of the Michigan Welfare Rights Organization and Meera Karunananthan, international water campaigner for the Blue Planet Project. "In Michigan it is particularly egregious because a household that has welfare involvement and water is turned off with minor children in the home, means that protective services can come in and take the children out and put them in foster care," Taylor says. "This is an orchestrated attack by banks and corporations...in an effort to try to enrich themselves." Photo Credit: flickr.com/ifmuth This video is an excerpt of the segment. Watch the full interview on Democracy Now!: http://www.democracynow.org/2014/6/24/water_is_a_human_right_detroit Democracy Now!, is an independent global news hour that airs weekdays on 1,200+ TV and radio stations Monday through Friday. Watch our livestream 8-9am ET at http://www.democracynow.org. Please consider supporting independent media by making a donation to Democracy Now! today, visit http://owl.li/ruJ5Q. FOLLOW DEMOCRACY NOW! ONLINE: Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/democracynow Twitter: https://twitter.com/democracynow YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/democracynow SoundCloud: http://www.soundcloud.com/democracynow Daily Email: http://www.democracynow.org/subscribe Google+: https://plus.google.com/+DemocracyNow Instagram: http://instagram.com/democracynow Tumblr: http://democracynow.tumblr Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/democracynow "In Michigan it is particularly egregious because a household that has welfare involvement and water is turned off with minor children in the home, means that protective services can come in and take the children out and put them in foster care," Taylor says. "This is an orchestrated attack by banks and corporations...in an effort to try to enrich themselves." Photo Credit: flickr.com/ifmuth This video is an excerpt of the segment. Watch the full interview on Democracy Now!: http://www.democracynow.org Democracy Now!, is an independent global news hour that airs weekdays on 1,200+ TV and radio stations Monday through Friday. Watch our livestream 8-9am ET at http://www.democracynow.org. Please consider supporting independent media by making a donation to Democracy Now! today, visit http://owl.li/ruJ5Q. FOLLOW DEMOCRACY NOW! ONLINE: Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/democracynow Twitter: https://twitter.com/democracynow YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/democracynow SoundCloud: http://www.soundcloud.com/democracynow Daily Email: http://www.democracynow.org/subscribe Google+: https://plus.google.com/+DemocracyNow Instagram: http://instagram.com/democracynow Tumblr: http://democracynow.tumblr Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/democracynow

• published: 21 Jul 2014
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