US households pay 62% more for water than they did a decade ago, study finds
Summary
US households are paying 62% more for drinking water now than they did 10 years ago. This rise is faster than increases in inflation, food prices, and household incomes, affecting many families, especially low-income ones.Key Facts
- The study looked at water bills from the 500 largest US community water systems, serving about 155 million people (45% of the population).
- In 2025, the average household using 60,000 gallons paid $531 annually for drinking water.
- Water bills went up 62% from 2015 to 2025, while overall inflation increased by 39%.
- Water costs rose faster than grocery prices (30%) and eggs (28%).
- Water bills grew 19% more than the national median household income over the last decade.
- Corporate-owned water systems charged $823 on average, which is 67% more than $494 charged by public systems.
- California had over half of the most expensive water systems, while the cheapest were all publicly owned and mostly in southern states.
- In many places, especially West Virginia and Puerto Rico, water bills take a large share of low-income household income, making water very unaffordable.
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