Examining Non-billed Water Costs to Improve Water Affordability Assessments

Abstract Submission: Drinking water affordability is an issue often under-recognized in high-income countries like the U.S. where current water prices are unaffordable for approximately 10% of households. In addition to the financial burden of water bills, socially vulnerable groups are more likely to reject tap water, due to a variety of concerns including poor water aesthetics, distrust of government agencies, previous experience with unsafe water, and social norms. Instead these communities rely on more expensive bottled or filtered water for drinking and cooking. These non-billed water costs are typically ignored in affordability assessment frameworks, leading to an underestimation of financial burdens. Using focus group data and community-wide surveys, we assess non-billed water costs for residents in two communities (East Palo Alto, CA and Detroit, MI) with historic water quality challenges and high levels of tap water distrust. We found that residents may spend upwards of $100 per month on tap water alternatives, primarily bottled water purchases. A lack of trust in tap water safety due to poor water quality aesthetics and frayed relationships with local water providers contributes heavily to residents’ rejection of tap water and expenditures on tap water alternatives. This work contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the financial burden of domestic water in the U.S., highlighting the connection between water quality and affordability. With more refined water affordability assessments, policy makers can develop more integrated solutions, particularly for communities that are often overlooked.

Learning Objectives/Expected Outcome (Optional) : This work will reveal how poor water aesthetics contributes to tap water distrust and rejection of tap water in frontline communities
The results of this work can help inform improved methods of water affordability assesses that include non-billed water costs (bottled and filtered water)