The Water Equity & Climate Resilience Caucus believes every person in the United States has a right to safe and affordable water and sanitation, now and in the future. We believe governments at all levels are responsible for and capable of ensuring water affordability for all. We believe policymakers must reckon with our nation’s enduring legacy of racist and inequitable water infrastructure investments, and prioritize rural, low-income, and marginalized communities that have faced the greatest burden of unsafe and unaffordable water.

The Caucus Water Affordability for All framework focuses on water affordability because the rising costs of drinking water and sanitation are forcing families into debt and increasing the risk of water shutoffs because of overdue bills — yet no federal programs address this burden. Addressing water affordability requires a suite of investments and policies designed to maintain access for households facing the greatest economic challenges and prevent the rising costs of updating and maintaining water systems from falling on those who can least afford it.

This framework was developed through a consensus-based process in the Caucus Water Affordability Workgroup. It does not represent a complete water affordability plan or the sum total of all Caucus members’ policy priorities. We invite you to learn more about the root causes of America’s water affordability crisis and possible policy solutions.

Water rates are rising exponentially, faster than inflation and all other utility costs. In an American Water Works Association survey, 1 in 3 respondents reported struggling to pay their water bill on time. Faced with rising and unaffordable bills, households risk debt, having their water shutoff, or even losing their home or children. 

How did we get here? 50 years of declining federal investment in drinking water, stormwater, and wastewater systems — plus the added stress of climate disasters like drought and flooding — are straining our aging water infrastructure to the breaking point. Low-income communities and communities of color have been hardest hit by the disinvestment, which is also contributing to the growing affordability crisis.

Water affordability is a comprehensive framework that addresses the root causes of the rising cost of safe water and sanitation. Many communities in the U.S. face water affordability challenges across race, class, and geography. We envision a future where all water systems are funded sufficiently to provide safe and affordable water and sanitation services; where people can reliably afford to pay their bills and no one loses water access due to inability to pay; and where water governance centers equity, justice, transparency, and accountability.

This policy framework was developed by the WECR Caucus Water Affordability Workgroup and contains our vision for the future and specific policy recommendations that reflect these values. A comprehensive approach to ensure water affordability requires actions from all levels of government and utilities. These policy approaches may evolve and we remain open to dialogue and ideas that advance the human right to water in keeping with our core values. 

In order to see a future where every person in the U.S. has access to safe and affordable water and sanitation, now and in the future, we need equitable policies that address the following three areas:

In response to the growing water affordability crisis, the WECR Caucus advocated for the establishment of a permanent water assistance program starting in 2019 through its Federal Policy Advocacy Workgroup. In Jan 2024, WECR Caucus members established a Water Affordability Workgroup, including dozens of Caucus members across the U.S., to build consensus on a broader agenda (i.e. beyond establishing a low income water assistance program) to address water affordability. WECR Caucus members who support these as general principles and potential policy solutions for addressing the growing affordability crisis include:

To learn more and engage or endorse this framework, contact Yasmin Zaerpoor, Director of Water Equity & Climate Resilience, PolicyLink, yasmin@policylink.org.