Key facts
- US households paid 62% more for drinking water in 2025 than in 2015.
- Water bills increased 1.6 times faster than overall inflation between 2015 and 2025.
- Average annual drinking water bills reached $531 in 2025.
- Corporate water systems charged households 67% more than publicly owned systems.
- Water bills exceeded affordability thresholds for the poorest fifth of households in 93% of systems.
- Low-income households in West Virginia spent about 11% of income on water bills, while those in Puerto Rico spent about 20%.
US households are facing significantly higher drinking water costs, with bills increasing 62% over the past decade, a rate that outpaces inflation, grocery prices, and household incomes, according to a new study by Food & Water Watch. The non-profit analyzed billing data from 500 of the largest community water systems, which serve approximately 155 million people, comparing 2025 rates to those from 2015.
The study found that the average household using 60,000 gallons of water paid $531 for drinking water service in 2025. This represents a 62% jump from a decade prior, while overall consumer prices increased by 39% and grocery prices by 30% during the same period. Water bills also grew 19% faster than the national median household income between 2014 and 2024.
Significant disparities exist between publicly owned and for-profit water systems. Corporate-owned utilities charged households an average of $823 annually, compared to $494 for publicly owned systems, a difference of $329 or 67%. For-profit corporations owned 44% of the 25 most expensive systems analyzed, despite accounting for only 11% of all systems studied.
Affordability is a major concern, particularly for low-income households. Water bills exceeded 1.5% of income for the poorest fifth of households in 93% of the systems studied. In West Virginia, water bills consumed about 11% of income for low-income households, and in Puerto Rico, this figure reached approximately 20%.
Mary Grant, Food & Water Watch’s water program director and a co-author of the study, attributed the rising costs to corporate water abuses, federal disinvestment, and climate change, emphasizing that corporate control exacerbates the affordability crisis by prioritizing profit. She called for greater public investment, holding polluters accountable, and expanding federal support.
The American Water Works Association (AWWA) noted that infrastructure renewal, resilience, and regulatory requirements are key cost drivers. Spokesperson Greg Kail projected that if communities rely solely on water bills, average annual household bills could more than double to $969 by 2050 (in 2025 dollars), with a significant portion of households exceeding affordability benchmarks. The AWWA estimated $13.6 billion annually in assistance would be needed by 2050.
The National Association of Water Companies (NAWC), representing private utilities, acknowledged affordability as a challenge and cited similar cost drivers, including aging infrastructure and regulatory compliance. Spokesperson Jenn Kocher highlighted customer-assistance programs offered by private companies, suggesting that rate comparisons solely based on published schedules can be misleading.