Exploring the invisible water insecurity of water utility shutoffs in Detroit, Michigan

Abstract

A lack of regular access to clean and safe water and sanitation is a persistent problem in many parts of the world. Most water insecurity studies focus on the world's less-industrialized and lower-income countries, where sanitation and water delivery infrastructure may never have existed. However, many individuals in higher-income countries experience invisible water insecurity, wherein specific households or individuals lack access to sanitation and clean water despite the relative wealth of their country. In the United States, invisible water insecurity tends to manifest as a result of homelessness, a lack of plumbing facilities, and water utility shut-offs. Using a water shut-off dataset from the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, we investigate the relationship between a suite of demographic variables and the water shut-off rates in different neighborhoods throughout Detroit, Michigan. We find that shut-offs are more common in areas with more Black households that are more impoverished. Our findings indicate that this relationship links to structural disadvantage resulting from a legacy of racism and segregation in the city.