Water Bills Soar 62% in a Decade as US Households Feel the Squeeze

US households are paying 62% more for drinking water than they did a decade ago, according to a new study by Food & Water Watch, a Washington DC-based non-profit. The analysis, based on 2025 billing data from the 500 largest community water systems serving about 155 million people, compared current rates with a similar survey conducted in 2015. The increase outpaces inflation, grocery prices and household income growth, placing a growing burden on American families.

The study attributes the sharp rise to a combination of factors: the growing influence of for-profit water corporations, federal funding cuts for water infrastructure, and the escalating impacts of the climate crisis. A co-author of the report said these forces are 'supercharging water rate hikes.' The analysis does not include wastewater or storm water charges, which are often billed separately, meaning the true cost to households could be even higher.

The findings underscore a deepening affordability crisis in the US water sector, with advocates warning that access to a basic necessity is increasingly at risk for low-income communities. The study calls for greater public control and investment in water systems, and its release is likely to intensify debates over privatization and federal infrastructure spending. Next steps include potential legislative action and further research into the impacts on vulnerable populations.