Benton harbor after school programs

The Benton Harbor water system began showing elevated lead results in after the state required more robust lead sampling procedures following the Flint crisis. Operational problems at the plant coupled with a shrunken customer base, reduced workforce and a buried network of lead pipes began to manifest in contaminated tap water.

The order required the city to increase water rates and improve bill collection to help pay for plant upgrades. In , the city commission voted to raise water rates by 10 percent and sewer rates 7 percent annually until over the objection of some commissioners who worried about residents ability to afford larger water utility bills.

Benton Harbor Mayor Marcus Muhammad has been targeted by several recall petition filings citing the water crisis and previous votes to raise water and sewer rates. According to a University of Michigan study released this month , water and sewer bills across Michigan have increased at a higher rate than any other basic need except health care over the past four decades as utilities grapple with increasing operational and maintenance costs.

In the Midwest, water bills for households in the lowest 20th percentile of income have risen percent on average since , while household income for those residents has only risen percent, study authors found. In addition, between 6 and 11 percent of households on community water supplies across Michigan have high-burden water bills.

A statewide moratorium on water shutoffs during the pandemic ended March To be eligible, a household must have a residential account in arrears or disconnect status and be under percent of the federal poverty limit. Related stories:. EPA orders BH to fix troubled water system. Hamtramck, other systems flagged for lead. There is no cost to City of Benton Harbor residents for lead service line replacement. To assist with assuring the work can be completed as soon as possible, residents are encouraged to complete the Water Service Line Replacement Agreement available online.

Contractors cannot begin work on any property without property owner authorization. Toggle navigation Navigation Menu. Now Playing. Listen Anywhere. Facebook Tweets by ycountry. Mentorship Programs. The goal of these programs is to empower youth through discovery and discussion of history, culture, social problems, and the political forces surrounding them. BowTie Boys.

You Matter Mentoring.