Detroit not alone in shutting off water for unpaid bills

Detroit has drawn fire from all over the world for shutting off water to customers delinquent on their bills, but the city isn't unique. Cities across the country do it also.

In Michigan, Hamtramck, Warren, Pontiac, Eastpointe, Romulus and other cities have shut off delinquent customers as a way to improve collections. Elsewhere, so have other big cities such as Baltimore and St. Louis.

Detroit's Water and Sewerage Department ramped up its shutoff efforts in March in an attempt to collect more than $90 million it is owed by Detroiters who are behind on their bills. But as the shutoffs accelerated, so did the criticism.

"We have a pretty standard policy across all our systems," said Madeline Power, spokeswoman for United Water, which manages 90 water systems in 21 states. "Customers have 21 days to pay their utilities. Unpaid past-due bills that exceed 90 days face shutoff."