A community advocate for DeKalb Water Watch at a county administration building
The American Friends Service Committee's Atlanta Economic Justice program is thrilled to share that after a multi-year effort to address urgent water affordability issues in DeKalb County, elected officials in Georgia passed sweeping legislation that includes debt relief and stronger protections against water shutoffs. These policies are the result of nearly a decade of organizing by the resident-led group DeKalb Water Watch, with support from organizations in its expanded coalition including AFSC, the Legal Defense Fund, South River Watershed Alliance, and New Disabled South. This legislation will help to ensure Black residents, families with children, seniors, and residents with disabilities have access to clean, affordable water.
Click here to read the full press release at the Legal Defense Fund's site.
To improve water and sewage services for residents of the county, the legislation includes a cap for water bills at 3% of monthly income specifically for low-income residents, creates an income-based program to make water bills more affordable, strengthens shutoff protections to ensure that people don’t lose access to essential services, and establishes an independent advocacy office to assists residents with billing disputes.
Keep an eye out for more about this historic win. We thank all of our community partners and you for your support of DeKalb County residents in this hard-fought victory!
Click here to read more about DeKalb Water Watch.
Learn more about the Atlanta Economic Justice program.