Horn for Decatur - David Horn - Decatur City Council

DECATUR CAN DO MORE TO PROTECT PEOPLE DURING EXCESSIVE HEAT

Decatur is in an extreme heat warning through Thursday night at midnight with temperatures expected to reach the mid 90’s and heat index values reaching 105-110. Recommendations from the CDC during elevated heat include staying hydrated, staying cool in an air-conditioned location, and knowing symptoms when your body is getting too hot such as sweating a lot, feeling very tired and weak, and being dizzy, lightheaded, and nauseated. Certain medications can also impact your body’s heat tolerance.

For those looking to get out of the heat, cooling centers are available in the city. Locations of cooling centers include Decatur Civic Center (hours of operation are M-F, 9 AM-5 PM), Decatur Public Library (M-TH, 9 AM – 8 PM, F and SA, 9 AM – 5:30 PM), Macon County Department of Human Services (M-F 8:30 AM – 5 PM), Oasis Day Center (M-F, 7 AM-5 PM, closed between 11:30 AM-1 PM). Please check on friends and neighbors who may not be able to stay cool and hydrated and make sure they are okay.

Excessive heat is one of the leading causes of weather-related deaths. Fortunately, heat-related deaths are preventable, and Decatur can do more to mitigate heat-related impacts to its residents. In the short-term, the city council should stop water shutoffs of occupied residences during extreme heat which under the current ordinance is taking place. In the long-term, the city needs to monitor the number of heat-related illnesses and deaths and establish a plan to reduce them.

The City of Decatur has an ample water supply available for residential use. However, over 40% of Decatur residents are either in poverty or who are struggling to make ends meet (>27,000 people). In our city, the median household income is $51,592, the poverty rate is 19.4%, and there are thousands of families in the city that are rent or mortgage distressed. Families should not be forced to decide whether to pay rent/mortgage, buy groceries, purchase medication, or pay utility bills, and certainly not during extreme environmental conditions. People ultimately need to pay their bills, but it is difficult to see how individuals that suffer heat-related illnesses or death due to dehydration will be in a position to reimburse the city for their unpaid water bills.

In July 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor announced rules to protect workers from excessive heat. This was a positive development in protecting workers that I am very supportive of. Among other things, employers would protect workers from heat by implementing requirements for drinking water and rest breaks. There is substantial irony, however, that the city would be protecting its workers from excessive heat so they can in turn shut off the water of city residents thereby making the residents more vulnerable to heat related illness and death. Just as electric utility companies are no longer allowed to shut off power during heat warnings, the city’s water utility should not turn off the water of occupied residences during heat emergencies. This will allow vulnerable residents to keep hydrated and stay cool through cooler showers and baths. Such a change in policy by the city council is long overdue and may very well save a person’s life.

Why hasn’t Decatur already ended water shutoffs during excessive heat? Three arguments have been made against such a policy: 1) individuals will take advantage of the system, 2) residents have other places such as cooling centers to stay safe, and 3) it is not a common practice. As rebuttals, 1) individuals will still be responsible for paying their water bill, the city simply won’t turn it off at a time of greatest need, 2) shutting off water should not be a catalyst requiring families to rely on social services such as cooling centers, and 3) as global warming intensifies, more cities will be adopting policies that protect their residents from heat emergencies.

What do you think? Should Decatur end water shutoffs of occupied residences during excessive heat warnings?