March 13, 2020 (Cleveland, OH) – As communities around the Great Lakes region respond to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, cities and other government entities have take action to halt water shut-offs and restore residential water service.
In response, Alliance for the Great Lakes Director of Policy and Strategic Engagement Crystal M.C. Davis issued the following statement:
“The Alliance for the Great Lakes commends the cities of Cleveland, Detroit, and Toledo for ordering moratoriums on water shut-offs and restoration of residential water services during this crisis.
We also applaud Ohio Governor DeWine for directing utilities under the Public Utility Commission of Ohio’s (PUCO) jurisdiction to review shutoff policies and other practices. We urge the PUCO to act quickly to create these protections against the spread of the virus.
The deepening COVID-19 crisis reminds us of the intrinsic connection between water and public health – especially for those in our community who are homebound. This crisis is going to take a commitment to addressing this issue at all levels of government, and the Alliance is ready to work with any state or local officials looking for guidance in this critical area.
We must do all we can at this moment to keep ourselves, our families, and our communities safe, and these shut-off moratoriums do just that.”
###
Media Contact: Jennifer Caddick, jcaddick@greatlakes.org, (312) 445-9760