Decatur can do more to protect people during excessive heat
Excessive heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths, and in an era of global warming, cities should be prepared for warmer temperatures for longer periods of time. Fortunately, heat-related deaths are preventable, and Decatur can do more to mitigate heat-related impacts to its residents. In the long-term, the city needs to monitor the number of heat-related illnesses and deaths and establish a plan to reduce them. In the short-term, the city council should stop water shutoffs of occupied residences during extreme heat which under the current ordinance is taking place.
Many Decatur residents have difficulty paying their bills. In our city, the median household income is $49,039, the poverty rate is 19.5%, and there are thousands of families in the city that are rent or mortgage distressed. In recent months, the city of Decatur has raised property taxes and increased rates for crucial services such as water and sewers, and approved an increase in garbage fees that for some households has meant an annual increase in costs of over $300 per year. Families should not be forced to decide whether to pay rent/mortgage, buy groceries, purchase medication, or pay utility bills, and certainly not during extreme environmental conditions. People ultimately need to pay their bills, but it is difficult to see how individuals that suffer heat-related illnesses and death due to dehydration will be in a position to reimburse the city for their unpaid water bills.
The city has taken different positions on water shutoffs due to lack of payment depending on who the entity is. When ADM Co. delayed payment of the $1 million the city argued it owed as part of its agreement to purchase raw water while a new agreement was being negotiated, the city did not turn off the water to their facilities. ADM Co. had a net profit of over $1 billion last quarter and thus, appears to have the financial means to pay what it owes. Meanwhile in Macon County, 44% of families either live in poverty or do not make enough money to make ends meet. In other words, when highly profitable entities do not pay their water bill, the city’s approach is to do nothing. When a Decatur resident struggling to make ends meet does not pay its bill, the city will shut off water at the very moment they may need it the most.
Why hasn’t Decatur already ended water shutoffs during excessive heat? Three arguments have been made against such a policy: 1) individuals will take advantage of the system, 2) residents have other places such as cooling centers to stay safe, and 3) it is not a common practice. As rebuttals, 1) individuals will still be responsible for paying their water bill, the city simply won’t turn it off at a time of greatest need, 2) shutting off water should not be a catalyst requiring families to rely on social services such as cooling centers, and 3) as global warming intensifies, more cities will be adopting policies that protect their residents from heat emergencies.
On July 2, the U.S. Department of Labor announced rules to protect workers from excessive heat. This is a positive development in protecting workers that I am very supportive of. Among other things, employers would protect workers from heat by implementing requirements for drinking water and rest breaks. There is substantial irony, however, that the city would be protecting its workers from excessive heat so they can in turn shut off the water of city residents thereby making the residents more vulnerable to heat related illness and death. Just as electric utility companies are no longer allowed to shut off power during heat warnings, the city’s water utility should not turn off the water of occupied residences during heat emergencies so residents are able to keep hydrated. Such a change in policy by the city council is long overdue and may very well save a person’s life.