Senator Mary Washington: On the Issues
Get local and state-level updates from a trusted leader of the 43rd District on the issues that matter to you most. 

BALTIMORE, MD (Tuesday December 19th, 2023) Today, Senator Washington released the following statement regarding the recent report from the Baltimore Regional Water Taskforce:

 

"I am writing to update you on a process that began during the General Assembly earlier this year to study our water and sewer systems. In April, SB880 was signed into law to create the Baltimore Regional Water Governance Task Force. 

 

I have championed the access to clean, safe and affordable water as a human right for all Marylanders, especially our most vulnerable constituents since 2014. I was deeply concerned by the Detroit Water and Sewage Department (DWSD) decision to commence the largest residential water shutoff in U.S. history. That year DWSD terminated water service to over 20,000 Detroit residents for lack of payment, without regard to residents' health needs or ability to pay. I sponsored legislation the following year to ban water shut offs for seniors, households with young children and persons with disabilities. While we were not successful, I continued to look for policy reforms in this area and came to understand that shut offs were just the “tip of the iceberg.” 

 

Not long thereafter, I learned that water-related tax sales and foreclosures had an even more draconic impact on neighborhoods in Detroit. Combined with hearing concerns from my constituents about unaffordable and incorrect water bills, I worked with advocates and ratepayers to successfully ban the sale of homes and places of worship at tax sale over unpaid water bills in Baltimore City. Together, we have worked to make water more affordable and accessible in the Baltimore region.  

The Task Force has met five times this fall to develop a recommendation, and the draft recommendation just came out on Friday. We know our water and sewer systems have challenges, and that’s why I welcomed the opportunity to explore ways to improve collaboration between the City and the County to address those issues. I know the holidays are coming and you may not have time to read the 141-page report. This is why I am here."