Americans are now paying significantly more for water than in past years, with costs for this particular utility having increased by more than inflation and the median income over the past decade.
This is according to Food & Water Watch, a Washington, D.C—based nonprofit lobbying organization that advocates for corporate accountability and provides analysis on U.S. water infrastructure.
A recently published report by the group—"Surging Water Costs amid the US Affordability Crisis"—found that drinking-water bills had risen by 62 percent between 2015 and 2025. This was roughly 1.6 times the wider rate of inflation and twice as fast as grocery costs rose during that period.
Where Are Water Bills the Highest
According to the report, based on analysis of the 500 largest community water systems in the country, households were charged $531 on average for drinking water in 2025. Local system costs ranged from $133—a government-run system in Hempstead, New York—to $1,416 by a private system in California.
And researchers note a significant fluctuation in water bill costs depending on where someone lives.
In terms of the average drinking water bills for households using 60,000 gallons per year, Food & Water Watch found that the top 10 most expensive states were:
- West Virginia $1,383.27
- Pennsylvania $829.60
- Alaska $784.56
- Oregon $757.12
- New Jersey $706.45
- Illinois $703.22
- California $693.19
- Delaware $690.12
- District of Columbia $639.45
- Kentucky $634.37
West Virginia saw water bills rise around twice as quickly as the state’s wider median household income; researchers said that water remains "unaffordable" for many West Virginian households. With a limited number of systems in its data set, Food & Water Watch said that West Virginia’s two biggest systems both charged an average of $1,383, pushing up its average. Researchers also blamed West Virginia’s outsized costs on depopulation trends in the state, which mean that "fewer customers [are] available to spread costs for upgrades."
However, the average amount charged by a system dropped to as low as $286 in Idaho.
By specific system and how much this increased over the previous decade, Food & Water Watch found that the top 10 most expensive were:
- San Jose Water Company. California, Private, $1416.09. 163 percent.
- American Water—Huntington. West Virginia. Private. $1,396.96. 97 percent.
- American Water—Kanawha Valley. West Virginia. Private. $1,369.57. 93 percent.
- Escondido. California. Local government. $1,359.60. 100 percent.
- American Water—Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania. Private. $1,355.71. 71 percent.
- American Water—Lake Scranton. Pennsylvania. Private. $1,355.71. 71 percent.
- American Water—West. Pennsylvania. Private. $1,355.71. 71 percent.
- Aqua Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania. Private. $1,351.09. 73 percent.
- Santa Barbara. California. Local government. $1,316.06. 147 percent.
Why Is Water Increasing by So Much?
Food & Water Watch says that private ownership of water systems is behind the high costs and the rapid increases over the past decade. It points to "corporate control" as a driving factor and notes that private companies charged on average $329—or 67 percent—more for water than the public systems.
"For-profit water corporations charged typical households an average of $823 for water in 2025, compared to $494 charged by publicly owned systems," Food & Water Watch wrote.
"Without action to restore federal support for public water systems and rein in corporate water abuses, water bills will continue to increase faster than households can reasonably absorb," the report read. "Every level of government must take action to ensure safe, affordable, locally controlled water for all."
Researchers say that rising costs have also occurred as operators invest in long-needed upgrades to aging systems.
Back in 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency forecast that the U.S. would need to spend $625 billion "for pipe replacement, treatment plant upgrades, storage tanks, and other key assets to ensure the public health, security, and economic well-being of our cities, towns, and communities."
Separate research from the Massachusetts-based firm Bluefield Research, published in March, estimated that American household water and sewage bills increased by 5.1 percent last year.
Researchers attributed this to utilities replacing pipes, plants and other parts of water systems. They said that new environmental requirements and "climate resilience measures such as flood protection infrastructure and seismic upgrades" were also placing some upward pressure on household costs.
"Utilities face difficult decisions about how to maintain reliable service while keeping water affordable for households," said the Bluefield analyst Megan Bondar. "But with aging infrastructure, rising operating costs, and growing regulatory requirements, there is no indication that the upward trajectory in rates will change anytime soon."
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: John Fitzpatrick and James Debens