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Student 1 initial post

This is a difficult issue to look at because water is a basic necessity of living. While I agree that access to water should be a basic human right, there are other things (i.e. healthcare, housing) that I think similarly of that are not offered free. Access to water is treated as a service, just like electricity and cable. The only way to provide clean, safe water to poor households is to completely restructure the entire water industry. Because it costs money to provide water to a household and the water industry is so large, there is no way that it will ever be able to be provided free of charge. If the water industry is dissolved and water becomes a regulated and centrally maintained resource, we can start to talk about avenues for fair and equitable distribution. Until then, access to water is a privilege. There are a lot of parallels that can be drawn here to health insurance and the way that is marketed in the United States. The United States is a capitalist economy that profits off of these different sectors (water, healthcare), regardless of the ethical considerations of doing so.

Student 2 Initial post

The Detroit Water Crisis was a major public health issue that impacted the lives of over 19,000 Detroit resident’s homes. Detroit residents were experiencing water shutoffs without proper notice. Previous research on the Detroit Water Crisis found that water bills in Detroit were among the highest bills across the country. Additionally, Detroit is home to many low-income individuals and has a significantly high poverty rate. Along with water, individuals are tasked to pay for electricity, gas, shelter, food, and other essential services. In a city where the median income is approximately $20,000, it is unfair and unjust to dig individuals into more debt by charging expensive fees for their basic necessities. Individuals with a low socio-economic status are already impacted by various social determinants of health that adversely impact their health and should not have to constantly stress over getting clean safe water in their households. A solution that can be provided to low-income households is creating a government assistance program that offers discounts on monthly water bills for low income individuals. Discount programs provided by the government has helped low-income individuals save on their bills and ensure affordable costs. An example of a discount program is the Affordable Connectivity Program provided by Verizon which provides subsidized internet services for eligible customers. The Affordable Connectivity Program provides affordable internet for low income households and has been able to lift the financial burden of low-income households and their internet bills. By providing discounts on water bills, the financial strain can also be lifted on low-income individuals. This would improve the overall mental and physical health of individuals, because they no longer have to experience the mental toll of having no access to clean water and they will be able to prevent the transmission of diseases/illness.

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