Moratorium on water shutoffs during pandemic

SB 241 sets a temporary statewide moratorium, effective through March 31, 2021, on water shut-offs due to non-payment and ensures water services are restored to any Michigander currently shut off during the COVID-19 pandemic. Access to water is essential to human life at any time, but even more so during a public health pandemic when hand-washing and bathing is critical to limiting spread and exposure to COVID-19 and other viruses and bacteria. Until recently, Governor Whitmer’s Executive Order 2020-144 required restoration of water service to Michiganders across the state during the state of emergency, however that EO was invalidated by the Michigan Supreme Court. The court’s decision left behind a patchwork of protections for water access in Michigan that was partially solved by SB 241. Michiganders across the state are experiencing financial hardship that has put their access to basic utility services at risk, and SB 241offered a solution to this statewide problem at the right time.