More American cities — even those seen as affluent — are home to people living without running water as people are being ‘squeezed’ by unaffordable housing and the cost-of-living crisis, new research finds.
An increasing number of American cities, including those considered wealthy, are grappling with residents who lack access to running water, as the housing market’s unreasonably high costs and the cost-of-living crisis continue to pressure them.
According to a study published in Nature Cities, this issue intensified after the housing market changes resulting from the global financial crisis in 2008. Since 2017, the problem has been “growing in both reach and intensity,” impacting a wider range of US cities, including Portland (OR), Phoenix, Houston, Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Philadelphia, along with major urban centers like Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco.
The study also highlighted that people of color are disproportionately affected by a lack of household water—a condition termed ‘plumbing poverty’—in 12 out of the 15 largest cities.
The researchers from King’s College London and the University of Arizona expressed that these findings should serve as a “wake-up call,” emphasizing that a “heroic” overhaul of housing conditions and social infrastructure is essential for the USA to achieve the United Nations’ goal of providing safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene for all.
Lead researcher Professor Katie Meehan, an Environmental Justice Professor at King’s College London, remarked, “It is concerning that numerous US cities, including those perceived as wealthy and expanding, are witnessing an increase in individuals living in extreme poverty, specifically without access to running water.”
“This research represents the first attempt to monitor these shifts over time, tracing developments back to the 1970s, with notable urban growth in plumbing poverty observed in the 1990s, compounded by the 2008 crash and the ongoing housing and cost-of-living crises.”
“The combined pressures of soaring housing costs and other expenses have led more low-income, asset-limited individuals to manage without running water in these costly cities. An alarming number of people, especially those from racial minorities, now find themselves in such dire conditions that they are forced into homes that fail to meet basic standards for human dignity.”
According to Meehan, various factors can lead to individuals living without running water. Often, these individuals are employed but do not earn sufficient income to cover essential expenses. Some households may have had their water service shut off due to overdue bills or may have downgraded to housing without water access as they prioritize other costs. Others might reside in poorly maintained rentals but can’t afford to relocate; some live in inadequate structures like sheds or warehouses, while others may face homelessness.
Lucy Everitt, a PhD student at King’s College London involved in the study, noted that water service disconnections are a hidden challenge across US cities that might be indirectly reflected in census data.
“New York City has the highest number of households in a US metropolitan area without running water. Nonetheless, the municipal Water Board issued over 2,400 shut-off notices in March alone to properties with unpaid bills. Our analysis tracks households’ running water status as reported by the US Census, which likely captures many thousands of households unable to access water due to non-payment.”
This study is groundbreaking as the first to examine this issue over a 51-year span across the 50 largest US cities. According to census data from the 1970s, 3.5 million US households lacked running water; by 2021, although this number decreased, approximately 500,000 households, or 1.1 million individuals, still experienced this lack of access. This means roughly one in every 245 households lacks running water. The research team believes this figure likely underrepresents the actual number due to census data limitations.
Other significant findings from the study include:
- Since 1990, plumbing poverty has transitioned from primarily a rural issue to an urban one, with current figures indicating that 71 percent of those facing plumbing poverty now reside in cities.
- In 2021, the New York City metro area recorded the highest number of individuals living in plumbing poverty—about 56,900 people—followed by Los Angeles with 45,900 people and San Francisco with 24,400 people.
- In 12 of the 15 largest US cities, people of color make up the majority of those without access to running water, with statistics such as 82% in Los Angeles, 79% in Miami, 74% in San Francisco, and 71% in Houston in 2021.
Dr. Jason R. Jurjevich, an Assistant Professor at the School of Geography, Development, and Environment at the University of Arizona and a team member in the research, stated, “Our findings highlight that progress in alleviating plumbing poverty in some US cities over the past two decades has been uneven, with households of color often falling behind. For instance, in Philadelphia, where people of color accounted for 40% of the total population, they represented a staggering 66% of those without access to running water in 2021.”
The researchers emphasized the need for greater focus on how the housing crisis impacts access to running water. They advocate for reforms and enhancements to the US Census Bureau’s ability to collect comprehensive data on household water access and the prevalence of water service shut-offs to better track and meet Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They also suggest that local water utilities and water boards need to reevaluate and revamp their low-income support programs in light of the ongoing rise in living expenses and housing costs, which are straining people’s ability to afford water services.
