A report by Roger Colton, commissioned by Consumers Council of Missouri, finds that St. Louis City households have a significant degree of vulnerability to high water and sewer bills. A substantial number of the total population are living in Census Tracts with unaffordable bills. These Census Tracts include households with characteristics that increase their risk when water and sewer bills are too high—such as the presence of children under 18, young children under 6, or one or more individuals aged 65 or older. Food insecurity is more prevalent in these areas. Vulnerable households are from two to more than four times more likely to be headed by a householder who identifies as Black.
Mr. Colton analyzed St. Louis City census tracts in terms of income level and annual water and sewer bills. He observed that “the confluence of high water bills and low incomes gives rise for substantial concern in the City of St. Louis.”
As indicated in a 2022 White Paper by the U.S. Water Alliance, “For every community in our country, the availability of safe drinking water and wastewater services is a precondition for public health and prosperity.” As stated by Mr. Colton, “Water is vital to maintaining hygiene and health. The lack of water has particularly negative impacts on children, the elderly, women, and persons suffering from an illness or chronic health concern.”
For more information, read the report here.
