As federal funding for water infrastructure has plummeted and wages have stagnated, water costs have quickly and dramatically risen, with costs 80% higher on average in 2018 than they were in 2010. These high rates, and the punishment for not paying them, disproportionately harm communities of color and low-income communities.

This is unacceptable. And it’s only getting worse in the midst of a pandemic where millions more people are struggling to pay their water bills, accumulating more and more water debt each month, which keeps them in poverty.

To address this crisis, Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Debbie Dingell just reintroduced their Emergency Water is a Human Right Act. The legislation was included in a COVID relief bill passed by the House of Representatives last year, but it was not passed by the Senate or signed into law.  

If passed, the bill will:

• Prohibit water and electricity shutoffs during the COVID-19 emergency

• Ensure water affordability protections for low-income households, including authorizing $1.5 billion in grants to directly assist households paying a high proportion of their household income for drinking water and wastewater services

• Require providers to reconnect disconnected water, home energy, and electric services

The bill—with 73 co-sponsoring House members and 88 endorsing organizations—is just a starting point to begin to address our country’s growing water affordability and accessibility crisis.

But it’s a necessary first step, and the Biden administration’s support of it will be crucial. The administration can protect the right to water through executive actions and by helping push this legislation through as part of the next COVID relief package.

Then, we need a comprehensive federal response to address the root causes of unequal water access and of our nation’s water affordability crisis. We must commit to a serious long-term solution that extends beyond the pandemic, wipes out existing water and utility debt, replaces aging infrastructure, and ensures that nobody ever lives without running water again.  

Can you sign now to urge President Biden to prioritize water as a human right, starting with supporting the Emergency Water is a Human Right Act?