How Does Pollution Affect Your Water Bill?

At Water Equals Life (WEL) Coalition, we support an overall healthy environment. While we focus on water, we know that we have to fight pollution in all forms. Studies show pollution actually drives up the cost of water—meaning more expensive water bills for you and your neighbors.  

One alarming example of water pollutants are PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances), dubbed “forever chemicals" because they tend to stick around once created. PFAS can cause a variety of deadly diseases, from liver damage to cancer, and are nearly everywhere. Although they can be found in many household goods, Americans are primarily exposed to PFAS through their drinking water. 

The good news is that there are increasingly effective ways to remove PFAS from our environment. The bad news is that it cost billions to remove it from water systems across the country. Even though that cost is spread over various local water systems, it’s a serious burden. 

To make matters worse, the EPA recently rolled back regulations on several PFAS chemicals, despite overwhelming scientific consensus that we need stronger, not weaker, protections. Weakened regulations only compound the problem: we're not just working to remove existing contamination, we're now fighting to stop even more PFAS from entering our water in the first place.

It’s especially important to raise this issue because pollutants can be felt but unseen and unnoted until toxins impact our health or the health of someone we know. Similarly, the extra costs of removing toxins don’t get enough attention. Even folks already struggling to pay water bills mostly don’t know how air pollution adds to their burden.

This single case of poison increasing water pollution and thus water costs shows that we must take a holistic approach when it comes to protecting our environment and our health. We need a comprehensive, all-inclusive approach to removing air, water, and soil contaminants. Just as importantly, we need an equally comprehensive approach to mitigate the ever-increasing costs of clean water with water bills that are based on income.

As has been noted by the Water Equals Life Coalition, income-based water bills will keep clean, safe, and affordable water flowing into all Michigan homes, while keeping revenue flowing into our local water systems. It’s a practical, moral way to face the challenges.