Bluefield: Household water, sewer bills steadily outpacing inflation

Residential water and wastewater bills have progressively increased by 5.7 percent annually over the past five years, outpacing average annual income growth (5 percent) and inflation (1.9 percent) and magnifying the financial challenges facing municipal water utilities.

Analysis of the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S. show combined monthly water and wastewater bills averaging $91.06 (USD), based on standard household consumption by geography, according to a new U.S. Municipal Water and Wastewater Utility Bill Index from Bluefield Research.