In Hamtramck, far too many have fallen behind on water bills

Owning a home comes with a number of responsibilities.
Besides making your mortgage payment each month, there is one more must-pay bill: Your water bill.
For too many property owners in Hamtramck – about 30 percent – that obligation is not being met.
But now those home and business owners have to pay up or face having their water service shut off by the city.
The city’s Water Department issued shutoff notices earlier this month and last week began turning off service to those who owed $250 or more. Not surprisingly, a number of residents rushed into city hall to make good on their bill.
There is $1.2 million owed from water bill deadbeats, and it’s surprising the city waited this long to collect. The money owed could have gone to making repairs.
What are property owners here thinking? That it’s OK for everyone else but them to pay their water service bill?
That attitude needs to change in a hurry. Having 30 percent of property owners not keep up with their bill is ludicrous.
While some folks might have a legitimate claim for financial hardship, there is nothing the city can do about that. Either you can afford to own a home or commercial property or you can’t. It’s as simple as that.
Water is not free nor has it ever been. It costs millions of dollars to make our water safe for consumption. There is simply no excuse for passing the buck.