Due to increasingly high housing costs, more than 1 million Americans live without access to running water, even in wealthy cities, according to recent research.

A study published in the journal Nature Cities reveals how many Americans are financially strained by rising housing costs as well as everyday expenses like food, utilities, and debts from medical bills and education. The issue, referred to as “plumbing poverty,” was once primarily found in rural areas, but it is now spreading to urban centers such as Portland, Phoenix, Houston, and New York.

Lead researcher Katie Meehan, an environmental justice professor at King’s College London, stated in an interview with YSL News, “The housing crisis is a water crisis.”

The paper emphasizes that “the costs of unaffordable housing, stagnant wages, and a rising cost of living” are driving more families into plumbing poverty, causing them to live in homes that lack secure and reliable running water.

Living without running water can manifest in various ways. Some families might choose to prioritize rent or mortgage payments over their water bills. Others may have broken, clogged, or dysfunctional plumbing but cannot afford repairs. Additionally, many may reside in substandard accommodations that are not meant for habitation, such as repurposed warehouses.

Though rare, certain regions have experienced water outages or contamination issues, such as those seen in Flint, Michigan, and Jackson, Mississippi.

Crucially, the estimated 1.1 million Americans without access to running water as of 2021 likely excludes the homeless population, according to Meehan. The researchers utilized U.S. Census data, which gathers information about running water access within households.

The census often struggles to reach those without homes, and communities of color, where water access issues may be more pronounced, are classified as “hard to count,” Meehan explained. Furthermore, even families that participate in the census may hesitate to disclose their lack of access to running water to outsiders.

As a result, Meehan cautioned that “our findings are likely a significant underestimation of the reality of the situation.” She noted that the true figure could be as high as double the estimated amount.

As of 2021, New York had the highest number of individuals without running water, with around 24,700 households and 56,900 people affected.

However, New York has made substantial progress since 2000, when approximately 158,000 individuals lacked water access. In contrast, cities like Phoenix and San Francisco have seen little improvement, and conditions have worsened in Portland, Oregon, where Meehan is from.

To tackle this issue, the researchers assert that it will take “a heroic and paradigmatic transformation of housing conditions and social infrastructures.”