The British newspaper carried a detailed article on the growing burden of increasing water bills in the State of California and elsewhere. One of the under-reported consequences of the pandemic, the inability of citizens to pay their water bills, has gotten little attention in the United States press. According to the editors, Californians owe about $1 billion in unpaid water bills with one-eighth of the populations in arrears. In total, 1.6 million households owe from $500 to over $1000 in water bills. Most of those behind in payments live in Los Angeles county and are among the one-third of California's population living in poverty, mostly Black and Latino residents.
Because Governor Newsom declared a moratorium on water shutoffs for unpaid bills last April, as part of the state’s public health measures to curtail the spread of Covid-19, a strain on water utilities has occurred. The moratorium continues until the governor declares an end to the pandemic, but the government has not explained the conditions for repayment. As a consequence of the lack of revenue, the state projects that at least 25 small and local utilities will face bankruptcy, one percent of the total, during the first quarter of 2021.
The Guardian attributes the rising inability to pay from the increases in rates by water and waste water utilities. Although California, unlike many states, has a Human Right to Water Act, which guarantees water to its residents, the poor receive spotty and insufficient funding. Many water utilities operate precariously.
"Some utilities are deferring capital investments and maintenance; others are drawing down their reserve funds … smaller water systems are financially vulnerable and may require assistance to maintain operations within the next six months,” said Darrin Polhemus, the deputy director of the division of drinking water at the state water board."
In a study of 12 water utilities throughout the country, including San Diego and San Jose, water bills have increased on an average of 80 percent between 2010 and 2018. Correspondingly, federal water funding has decreased 77 percent since 1977, while utilities attempt to maintain aging infrastructure and to adhere to regulations regarding pollutants such as lead, PFAS, and nitrates.
Organizations viewing the existing condition as a racial justice issue, campaign for extending the moratorium on water shut-offs, providing financial assistance to households, and offering bridge loans for utilities.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/series/americas-water-crisis
https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/drinking_water/certlic/drinkingwater/covid-19watersystemsurvey.html
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/23/millions-of-americans-cant-afford-water-bills-rise
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