Majority Of Delinquent Detroit Water Customers In Culture Of: 'You're Not Making Me Pay,' Says Deputy Director

DETROIT (WWJ) - Several people protested outside the Detroit Water And Sewerage Department building Thursday, saying customers are having service cut off at an alarming rate and the practice is inhumane.

Organizer David Bullock with the Change Agent Consortium says the water department is going after customers that may be as little as $150 delinquent and says the department ignores large corporations which are behind.

"People always want to attack the poor ... why are we attacking poor people?" he asked.

[NEARLY HALF OF DETROIT WATER CUSTOMERS CAN'T PAY THEIR BILL]

But when asked which large companies are behind in their payments, Bullock would only say that WWJ should research the issue.

"I think you all should be standing with us," Bullock told WWJ's Marie Osborne. "I think you all should be demanding the same level of accountability for firms and corporations in the city of Detroit - that they are levying on residential customers."

The water department states that there are about 60,000 delinquent accounts in the city of Detroit - with the average arrearage about $560.

City of Detroit Water And Sewerage Department Deputy Director, Darryl Latimer, said every account corporate or private is treated the same, adding that the water department does what they can to work with those who come forward and address their hardship situation.

"The majority of our customers (who) are in delinquency status, they just built a culture of ,'You're not making me pay— I am not going to pay'," said Latimer.