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The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department shut off water to thousands of homes after the city declared bankruptcy in 2013. Joshua Lott/Getty Images

After a pandemic pause, Detroit restarts water shut-offs – part of a nationwide trend as costs rise

Detroit residents with past-due bills are facing water shut-offs again after a reprieve during COVID-19. At the same time, providers are also raising rates.
Low-income residents are among those most likely to lose cooling in their homes because they can’t pay their bills. Solidcolours/iStock/Getty Images Plus

America faces a power disconnection crisis amid rising heat: In 31 states, utilities can shut off electricity for nonpayment in a heat wave

One in 4 American households are at risk of losing power because of the high cost of energy. Over 30% of those disconnections are in summer, when heat gets dangerous.
Prompts like this sign in Coalinga, California, may get people to use less water – but paying them could be more effective. Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images

A new strategy for western states to adapt to long-term drought: Customized water pricing

Even after January’s storms, California faces a water-scarce future. An economist and an engineer propose a way to test higher water prices as a conservation strategy without hurting low-income users.

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