40 Percent of Americans Could Lose Water if They Can't Pay Bills During the Pandemic

"Millions of Americans risk losing running water if they fall behind with bill payments in coming months, as mass layoffs triggered by the coronavirus pandemic force families to make impossible tradeoffs on paying household expenses," writes Nina Lakhani.

Data analyzed by Food and Water Watch (FWW) and the Guardian estimates that two-fifths of the country relies on water from utilities that haven't suspended water shut-offs as the country reels from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic—also despite the hygienic necessity of water to combat the spread.

"Yet despite the evolving economic and health crises, less than 60% of the population have so far been protected from water shutoffs," writes Lakhani. "And just 11% of these utilities have explicitly pledged to reconnect households currently without running water due to unpaid bills."

According to the data, the parts of the country most vulnerable to the effects of the public health crisis are more likely to lack protections from utilities—states like Louisiana, Arkansas, Florida, and Oklahoma. By comparison, 12 states—California, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, and Wisconsin—have issued moratoriums on water shut offs.