Water is essential to public health. While the vast majority of American households served by water utilities receive a reliable supply of high-quality drinking water, there remain homes where water and wastewater services have been shut off or disconnected due to non-payment. Given the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, ensuring safe water for all is an increasingly urgent public health and racial justice issue.

This Issue Brief provides a summary of what is currently known about differences in utility disconnections due to non-payment in the U.S. across income, race, and housing type. It finds that Black, Native American, and mixed-race households are disproportionately impacted by utility disconnections compared to other races, and includes recommendations to address gaps in data collection that will help inform effective and equitable policy, program design, and implementation.

Issue Brief: Water and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Ensuring Access to Water as Shutoff Moratoriums Lift

Issue Brief: Water and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Impacts on Municipal Water Demand

Issue Brief: Water and the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Business Framework for Water & COVID-19: Practical Actions to Contain the Pandemic

Fact Sheet: Water and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Reopening Buildings After Shutdowns: Reducing Water-Related Health Risks