Detroiters must recertify by Nov. 30 to stay in water affordability plan

Detroiters enrolled in a program that reduces water bills to as low as $18 a month and wipes away water debt must verify they are still income eligible by the end of the month to remain on the plan.

More than 26,700 households are currently part of the city of Detroit's Lifeline Plan. Of that, about 58% of households — more than 15,300 — have applications for income eligibility, or recertification, pending approval. The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) required customers to recertify for the program starting Oct. 1 .

If Detroiters currently enrolled in Lifeline don't call the Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency, which is administering the program, to recertify by the end of the month, they will see a regular water bill — instead of a reduced one — in December, according to DWSD.

Customers are encouraged to reach out to the Wayne Metropolitan agency to request recertification and avoid a regular monthly bill and having to reapply to the Lifeline Plan, DWSD Public Affairs Director Bryan Peckinpaugh said in an email this week. The vast majority of the program's participants receive an $18 monthly bill for water, sewer and drainage. That's $62 less than the average monthly bill for a family of three in Detroit of $80.

Here is what to know:

What the program offers The program, which launched in 2022, offers residents fixed monthly rates from $18 to $56 and removes past water debt based on a household's income and water use. The $18-a-month tier is available for families at 135% of the federal poverty level, or a family of three making up to $34,857 a year. The next highest payment plan, offering water bills at $43 a month, is for three-person households making $38,730 or less. The last tier, at $56 a month, caps income at $51,640 for three people in a home. The recertification process is required by the state of Michigan as one of the funders of the program, according to DWSD.

How to verify income eligibility If they haven't already, water customers currently enrolled in the program can call the Wayne Metropolitan agency at 313-386-9727 to request to be recertified, Peckinpaugh said. The agency will contact households, whether or not they remain income-eligible for the plan.

The requirement to recertify applies to customers who are already in the Lifeline Plan and not new enrollees with pending applications or those who applied for the first time after Oct. 1, the water department has previously said .

If customers fail to recertify through the Wayne Metropolitan agency, they would have to reapply for the program.

As long as Lifeline Plan customers who must verify their income eligibility contact the Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency to recertify they will continue to get a reduced bill and be protected from shutoffs, even if the recertification takes several weeks, according to DWSD.

"If they already reached out to Wayne Metro to recertify, there is no action they need to take at this time," Peckinpaugh said.

What about customers who aren't eligible? Customers who no longer meet the income requirements for the Lifeline Plan can apply for EasyPay, a new DWSD program for Detroit residents, nonprofits and businesses behind on their water bills. The EasyPay Plan is interest- and penalty-free . The program does not have income restrictions. Customers can enroll by putting down a $10 deposit, then paying off the overdue balance over 36 months, on top of the regular bill. The program spares them from a water shut-off as long as they make payments. More than 12,000 customers are enrolled in that program, according to DWSD.

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