U.S. water bills rose 62% in a decade, outpacing inflation and incomes, report finds

Household drinking water prices at the average community water system in the United States rose 62% from 2015 to 2025, faster than inflation, grocery prices and median household income, according to a report released Tuesday by the nonprofit Food & Water Watch.

The group analyzed the 500 largest community water systems, which serve more than 155 million people, or 45% of the country. The average system charged $531 in 2025 for 60,000 gallons, a typical household's yearly use, up from about $336 in 2014, or $457 in 2025 dollars. Bills rose 1.6 times as fast as overall inflation and twice as fast as grocery prices.

Water is now unaffordable for low-income households in 93% of the systems studied. California had 52% of the 25 most expensive systems, led by San Jose at $1,416 a year.

Mary Grant, water policy director at Food & Water Watch, said that "in some places like West Virginia, water bills are becoming unaffordable for a typical household at the median income, and that's really a warning sign." She called for federal action. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates the country's water systems need $625 billion in investment over 20 years.

Jenn Kocher, a spokesperson for the National Association of Water Companies, said rising rates "reflect sector-wide cost pressures, not ownership models."

This brief is based on reporting by Steven Rodas, published Oct. 6, 2026, in Inside Climate News. Read the original: https://insideclimatenews.org/news/06102026/water-bills-surged-more-than-other-costs-in-us-homes-over-10-years-a-striking-new-report-shows/