Before a municipality can provide water bill relief or assistance to residents, it must first understand the extent and nature of water affordability issues within the community. A water affordability analysis helps municipalities dive deep into water billing data to understand affordability issues in a highly localized and actionable context.
Ten municipalities in Cook County completed an analysis through the Cook County Water Affordability program. The following examples can serve as models for other municipalities and utilities interested in learning more about how affordability impacts their community and potential solutions.
The studies look at household income levels, water rates, and essential usage needs to determine if costs are burdensome for low‑income or vulnerable populations. This can be an important tool for municipal water utilities by informing rate-setting decisions, long term financial planning, and the development of customer assistance programs. The studies provide a comprehensive view of the financial burden of water and sewer bills on residents and identify practical strategies to improve affordability, utility management, and customer engagement.
We encourage you to explore all ten water affordability studies below. To help, start with this brief, which synthesizes findings from all of the studies. The brief highlights the key findings and takeaways of these analyses for municipalities and utilities interested in pursuing their own water affordability analysis. Readers can expect to learn more about how the studies were designed, the methods used to calculate water bill burden, and the challenges and solutions identified to improve water bill affordability.
Download and share the brief here.
The studies were conducted as part of the Cook County Water Affordability Program, a first-of-its-kind initiative that helps suburban Cook County residents who are struggling with their water bills. Both the brief and the studies are administered by Elevate in collaboration with the Cook County Bureau of Economic Development, funded through the American Rescue Plan Act by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
