Detroit: civil rights coalition sues to bar water shutoffs for residents

Class action aims to force city with one of country's most expensive water rates to institute affordable payment plan

A coalition of civil rights groups have filed a landmark class action to permanently ban water shutoffs for Detroit residents and force the city to implement an affordable payment plan.

Detroit, which has one of the most expensive water rates in the country, has disconnected more than 140,000 households since 2014, as part of an internationally condemned debt collection scheme which has left thousands of vulnerable residents without running water for months or years.