Skyrocketing gas prices, crushing grocery bills, and negligible wage increases are all symptoms of the current affordability crisis in the United States, but according to a new watchdog report, Americans can add surging water bills to the list.

Food & Water Watch, a Washington D.C.-based NGO, compiled and analyzed drinking water billing data for the 500 largest community water systems in 2025. These systems collectively served 155 million Americans, or about 45% of the national population. Comparing typical household drinking water bills in 2025 to those in 2015 revealed that the average community water system raised bills by a whopping 62% over the last decade.

On average, household drinking water bills rose 1.6 times faster than inflation, twice as fast as grocery prices, and 19% faster than median household income, according to the report. But of course, costs varied by state and by water system.

The average water system charged a typical household $531 for drinking water service in 2025, but the 25 most expensive systems charged households more than $1,000, while the 25 least expensive systems charged less than $260. Of all states, West Virginia had the highest bills. Its two largest systems—both owned by American Water—charged households an average of $1,383. Other states with particularly expensive water bills included Pennsylvania, Alaska, Oregon, Illinois, and California.

“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 states.

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