Access to safe, affordable running water is a basic necessity and fundamental human right.
Philadelphia has become a bright light in combating the issue of unaffordability, creating a first-in-the-nation assistance program that bases the water bills of financially strapped residents on their ability to pay.
A growing nationwide affordability crisis With an average monthly household water, sewer, and stormwater bill of around $70.87, the number of Philadelphians unable to pay is staggering at nearly 40 percent.
Local communities’ efforts to deliver clean, affordable water to their struggling residents are further hindered by President Donald Trump’s regressive actions that place the health and safety of the nation’s already vulnerable water infrastructure at greater risk.
Philadelphia is leading the way Even amid challenging conditions, Philadelphia has stepped up to the plate to address the issue of water affordability.
Early this year, the city began accepting applications for its pioneering water bill assistance initiative, the Tiered Assistance Program (TAP).
Under TAP, a resident’s monthly water bill is not based on their consumption but rather set as a percentage of their household income and size.
Under TAP’s income-based pricing structure, residents making up to 50 percent FPL would see a water bill that is roughly 2 percent of their monthly income.
For example, under TAP, a family of four making around $12,300 per year would have a monthly water bill of about $20.50.
Water is life, and no American should ever be disconnected from it or risk losing their home simply because they cannot pay their utility bill.