The Growing Water Affordability Crisis
As utilities raise rates to fund overdue upgrades, water bills are outpacing incomes — and shutoffs are hitting the most vulnerable households hardest.
Water and sewer rates have risen faster than inflation for years as utilities scramble to fund deferred maintenance, comply with new contaminant rules, and adapt to climate stress. For low-income households, water is becoming unaffordable.
Unlike energy, there is no permanent national low-income assistance program for water. Affordability advocates warn that rising bills, liens, and shutoffs disproportionately affect renters, fixed-income seniors, and communities of color.
Solutions under debate include income-based rate structures, a federal low-income water assistance program, consolidation of struggling small systems, and efficiency programs that lower bills by lowering use.
Sources & further reading
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