Water Bills Are Rising Faster Than Incomes
Decades of deferred investment are coming due. As utilities raise rates, a quiet affordability crisis is spreading — with no federal safety net.
By AGUACYCLE News Room
Across the country, water and sewer rates are climbing faster than inflation as utilities confront aging pipes, new contaminant rules, and climate stress. For many households, water is becoming unaffordable.
No water LIHEAP
Unlike home energy, water has no permanent national low-income assistance program. The result: liens, shutoffs, and hardship that fall hardest on renters, seniors, and communities of color.
What could help
Income-based rates, consolidation of struggling small systems, efficiency programs, and a federal assistance program are all on the table — but funding remains the central obstacle.
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