Running Water Is Becoming More Unaffordable Across the US, New Report Says

Running water is something many Americans may take for granted, a public utility that is just a turn away.But water isn’t free, and a new report says water and sewage bills in America have increased sharply over the past decade.The Guardian found that the combined price of water and sewage grew by an average of 80%.And that leaves large chunks of residents with what the news site described as "unaffordable bills.".Their study looked at "12 diverse cities" between 2010 and 2018.In seven of the 12 cities reviewed, over 50% of low-income residents had unaffordable bills.New Orleans, Cleveland, and Philadelphia are a few of the most widely-affected cities. .Austin, Texas saw the most drastic increase: 154 percent.Federal funding for water systems has fallen by 77 percent in real terms since its peak in 1977—leaving local utilities to raise the money, Stephen Gasteyer,Michigan State University