Feasibility and Applicability of Leading and Innovative Utility-Led Water Affordability Efforts

Over the past decade, as the cost to operate and maintain safe, reliable water and wastewater services has continued to rise, many utilities have taken proactive steps to reduce the burden of increasing costs for customers, especially those who are not able to afford their bills. Water and wastewater utilities have applied a diverse array of leading and innovative affordability programs and practices to address this challenge. Still, gaps in knowledge around what strategies are most effective remain. Here, leading programs and practices are defined as those that have been demonstrated to be particularly effective and efficient for achieving the desired outcome. In contrast, innovative programs and practices are novel and show promise in addressing affordability but are not widely tested or accepted. This project fills some of these gaps by documenting leading and innovative utility-led water and wastewater affordability programs and practices and the feasibility, costs, and benefits of implementation for utilities and customers in need. Published in 2025.