LANSING, Mich., Oct. 30, 2025 — Yesterday, state Rep. Emily Dievendorf (D-Lansing), held a press conference to unveil their Affordable Water Now legislative package. Other bills in the package were sponsored by state Reps. Noah Arbit (D-West Bloomfield), Cynthia Neeley (D-Flint), Dylan Wegela (D-Garden City) and Jimmie Wilson, Jr (D-Ypsilanti). Dievendorf was joined by members of the Water Equals Life Coalition to discuss water affordability in Michigan. Collectively, the bills work to ensure every Michigander has access to safe and clean water. 

“Water is not a luxury; it is a human right,” said Dievendorf, who introduced the first bill in the package. “No family should have to choose between paying their water bill or keeping the lights on. This package provides the guardrails Michigan residents need to protect them from unjust shutoffs, ensure transparency and make water service affordable and reliable for everyone.”

As more and more families struggle to afford basic necessities, rising water rates pose an additional threat for families who fear falling behind on payments and potentially losing their home. Neeley’s bill in the package would prevent foreclosures tied to unaffordable water rates by prohibiting liens from being placed on a household. 

“Water must remain accessible, safe and affordable for every person as a basic right,” Neeley said. “For too long, families who fell behind on their water bills have lived with the fear that a lien could cost them their home. My bill ends this cruel and unnecessary practice. No family should ever face the loss of their home simply because they struggled to pay a water bill. This legislation is about protecting the fundamental dignity of every household, and I’m proud to introduce it.” 

“People shouldn’t have to worry about how they are going to afford water; it’s as simple as that,” Arbit said. “My bill automatically enrolls eligible residents into income-based assistance programs and mandates flexible repayment options. Cost should never be a barrier to clean water and that is what this package is all about — ensuring that in the Great Lakes state, every Michigander has access to affordable water.”

Increasing accountability and transparency from water service providers is essential to keeping rates at reasonable levels and preventing unjust shutoffs.

“Water service providers need to be held accountable,” Wegela said. “That’s why my bill requires all water, sewer and stormwater utilities to report annually to DHHS on rates, shutoffs, services access, usage and demographic breakdowns. We need to get better data around who is affected by high water prices and how that relates to shutoffs. No one should have their water shut off — this bill ensures transparency from providers and holds them accountable.”

Dievendorf’s bill would prohibit shutoffs for vulnerable households and in the event of a shutoff, the bill would mandate that both clear notice and payment plan options are provided to the household. In a similar vein, Wilson, Jr.’s bill would prevent landlords from shutting off water to occupied units. If the landlord defaults on their payments, leading to a shutoff, tenants would further be empowered to restore service in their own name.

“This bill and the entire package are about fairness,” Wilson, Jr. said. “People shouldn’t have to worry about their water shutting off without any notice simply because their landlord didn’t pay a bill on time. Empowering tenants is essential to promoting consistent water access for all Michiganders and ensuring that tenants aren’t left without water through no fault of their own.”

The package recognizes a simple truth: water access is not a luxury, it is a human right and no Michigander should have to suffer the indignity of going without clean water.

“As a single mother and U.S. Army veteran, I never imagined the day my water would be shut off,” Gordon said. “I had served my country, worked in health care and still found myself buying bottled water to bathe my children. It was not about comfort — it was about dignity and health.”

“In a state surrounded by fresh water that is so integral to Michigan, there is no reason that affordable water should be so unattainable and out of reach for far too many Michiganders. That is why this package is so crucial, so no one has to worry about how they will afford a basic necessity of life: water,” Dievendorf concluded.

The press conference can be viewed on Rep. Dievendorf’s Facebook.

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