“Water is life, water is power, water is a right.”
So said Chicago Reverend Marilyn Pagan-Banks, to the sound of lapping waves on Lake Michigan, during a recent webinar promoting a proposed ordinance that would ensure drinking water access for all Chicagoans during the pandemic and beyond.
Even before the pandemic, Chicago had a moratorium on water shutoffs. Nonetheless, thousands of households are still without water, showing just how difficult ensuring water access can be. The situation also underscores the water security crisis that has long existed in many Great Lakes communities, which may get worse as shutoff moratoria imposed during the pandemic expire.