Revealed: millions of Americans can’t afford water as bills rise 80% in a decade

Exclusive: analysis of US cities shows emergency on affordability of running water amid Covid-19 pandemic

• Help us test water quality across the US: is your water safe enough?
• From the Guardian US editor: is it too much to ask for Americans to have access to clean water in 2020?

Millions of ordinary Americans are facing rising and unaffordable bills for running water, and risk being disconnected or losing their homes if they cannot pay, a landmark Guardian investigation has found.

Exclusive analysis of 12 US cities shows the combined price of water and sewage increased by an average of 80% between 2010 and 2018, with more than two-fifths of residents in some cities living in neighbourhoods with unaffordable bills.