A new report from a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit found that Americans are paying more than 60% more for drinking water than a decade ago. Based on 2025 billing data, the average household paid $531 annually — but costs ranged widely, from $133 in Hempstead, New York, to $1,416 through a corporate-run system in San Jose, California.
Water bills also outpaced earnings, rising 19% faster than median household income. The burden fell heaviest in Louisiana, Maryland, New Hampshire, and West Virginia, where bills grew roughly twice as fast as incomes. In Puerto Rico, typical water bills exceeded 3.5% of household income. Overall, researchers found water bills were unaffordable in 93% of systems studied.
