The Overlooked Problem that Is Putting Thousands of Americans Underwater

Robbie Burks had a leak. It was a slow leak, seeping from a pipe all the way down in the basement, not persistent enough to accumulate in inches but enough to leave the floors damp. And enough to suddenly, without warning, transform Burks’ $45 monthly water bill into a three-figure sum that continued to climb. After two years of the persistent trickle, she received a final bill notice for a whopping $46,000.

New legislation to start charging for water based on resident monthly income is cropping up in cities across the U.S., designed to make sure people like Burks stop drowning in water debt. Philadelphia’s Tiered Assistance Program, or TAP, was launched this June. Now, similar legislation is in its drafting and proposal stage in San Francisco and Baltimore.