Last Thursday we got an email at the paper announcing that a woman named Sonia Hoglander was planning a unique protest at City Hall over the fact that her water had been shut off.

Sonia planned to deliver a letter at the city’s utility department and then head to a bathroom at City Hall to wash a tub of dishes she brought with her.

Sonia made no bones about the reason her water was shut off: She had not paid her bill. But she had not paid it because she said she could not afford to do so, having had her income drop by 75 percent since the recession began in 2008.

We had a small debate in the newsroom as to whether this was something that warranted coverage, as it’s pretty straight forward that if you don’t pay your bill, they will stop delivering water to your house and I did not necessarily want to encourage others to not pay their water bills.

But I was convinced that not only was this a larger issue than this one woman, it would probably make a good photo opportunity and it is our job to cover what is going on in the city.

So I grabbed the camera and headed down.

Sure enough, at 1 p.m. Sonia drove up, gathered her dishes and a fellow from SAFE in Seattle (an organization “dedicated to building a mass movement to stop bank evictions, achieve principal reduction and put people before profit,” according to their website; Sonia is a member and said she had the “full backing” of the group) and headed into City Hall.

I hung back and watched as she nervously read her letter to the confused woman at the utilities counter – who promised to deliver it to Public Works Administrator Gregg Zimmerman – and then headed down the hall to the restrooms.

In her letter, Sonia called it “unconscionable that community leaders would permit/force families to live without potable water” and demanded the city accept community service for her bill and turn her water back on.

Sonia had her companion check to be sure the men’s room was unoccupied and then went in, where she began to wash her dishes in the restroom sink while the gentleman with her filmed the entire event, asking her about what she was doing and why.

I stood in the entrance to the first-floor men’s room, holding the door open and watching. I took my pictures and then, as I realized she was looking at me when she spoke instead of the camera, I stepped back outside and decided to wait until she was through in the restroom, as I was not really part of her protest and did not want to be.

As she was finishing, one male worker approached the bathroom, wondered what was going on and when told, went elsewhere to use the restroom.

Sonia finished washing her dishes and headed back outside.

I introduced myself and asked a few questions, which will probably eventually be visible on Youtube somewhere, as the whole thing was filmed.

Sonia told me she is an electrical engineer by trade with a masters in business administration. She used to work for Microsoft as a contract employee, but when the recession hit, she was laid off. She was offered another contract at a severely reduced rate and opted not to take it.

She said she cannot find a job and now runs a business out of her home advising homeowners of environmental toxins, including electromagnetic radiation and molds.

She said her partner helps her pay her mortgage for the house she has called home since 2000, but it had gotten to the point where other bills were falling by the wayside.

Sonia said her unpaid bill was about $116 and that her water had been shut off Tuesday morning. She called the city and several aid resources, but no one was able to help her get her water turned back on.

“I was very upset,” she said. “I decided I am not going to take this sitting down.”

That was when she decided to wash her dishes at City Hall to make her point.

As we were standing there, a Renton Police officer walked up and hovered as I finished with my questions. When I finished, the officer asked “Were you in the men’s room?” and asked her not to do that as they received a complaint.

Sonia’s companion repeatedly asked if it was illegal for a woman to go in the men’s room and the officer repeatedly said she did not know if there was a state law, but she had been called because Sonia’s going into the men’s room was disturbing the peace.

The man asked again and got the same answer. He asked again and got the same answer. He asked again and got the same answer. Then he asked why the officer wasn’t answering his question, to which the officer responded that she had, about five times, and now unless they had further business at City Hall, please leave.

The officer also said next time, just use the ladies’ room to wash your dishes. Honestly, I thought she was very professional in handling the situation, which was admittedly a little strange, all things considered.

I asked Sonia what she thought should be done. Everyone in the city pays for water to be delivered to their home and when you don’t pay, it gets shut off.

Believe me, I know. It’s happened to me since I moved to Renton. Luckily for me, it was an issue of simply not paying, as opposed to being unable, but it still is a very uncomfortable morning when you go to make coffee and can’t.

Sonia said she felt community service should be accepted as payment and said she has done a lot of community service with SAFE, doing homeless outreach, working for social justice and for protecting the environment. She felt those entitled her to some kind of break from the city.

It’s an interesting thought, really, and I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad one, though I am not convinced the community service she cited should count at all for a city of Renton water bill.

But there is some merit, in my mind, to a discussion about such an initiative. Perhaps if she was picking up litter, or mowing parkland or painting over graffiti or something of quantifiable value to the City (please note capital “c”), I might be talked into it.

Sonia’s basic tenet – that water is a human right no one should be without – is also a difficult sell. It sounds good on the surface, but again, we are not just paying for the water – a resource that is limited – but to have it filtered, cleaned and delivered to our homes.

So what does it all mean? Honestly, I don’t really know.

But in the end, I was glad I was talked into going. This was Renton news. It may not have been big news, but Sonia certainly peacefully exercised her rights and protested what she felt was an injustice in what I thought was a wholly unique way, and I admire her for that.

But at the same time, I can’t help but think that if you are not paying your water bill, for whatever reason, the water to your home should be shut off.

I have been thinking about it since and am curious what you think. I have made this week’s poll question “Do you think the city should accept community service for utility payments?”

Please let us know what you think.