Report: Detroit could be losing out on millions under 'flawed' water system lease
Detroit — A new report on Detroit's water system contends the city could be losing out on millions of dollars under a "flawed" 40-year lease with a regional authority forged in secret during Detroit's landmark bankruptcy.
The report, authored by researchers from the Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society at the University of California Berkeley, urges a reassessment of the city's lease agreements tied to the creation of the Great Lakes Water Authority, which operates the system.
The 100-page report, which was funded by $42,000 from the Troy-based Kresge Foundation, outlines the health, social and environmental impacts of water shutoffs in Detroit. It also lists seven broad actions that the researchers recommend should be taken to address disparities in water access and the system's governance in Metro Detroit.