Alliance for Water Efficiency Releases New Report on Water Affordability in Long Beach, CA

AWE is excited to announce the release of our newest report, An Assessment of Water Affordability & Conservation Potential in Long Beach California. This report evaluates water affordability in Long Beach and the extent to which water efficiency and conservation can help families, particularly disadvantaged families, lower their water and sewer bills. This is the second installment of AWE’s water affordability assessments, following 2020’s analysis of affordability in Detroit. These reports help address socioeconomic inequities by identifying the extent and scope of water affordability challenges as well as tangible steps that water utilities and consumers can take to reduce the financial burden of water and sewer bills.

The report finds that Long Beach has implemented extensive water efficiency and conservation programs that can lower the average water bills for a single-family residential customer up to 22%, and that such programs can continue to save customers money. The average annual cost of water and sewer in Long Beach was $824 in 2019 and 2020, which is 3.5% of the average annual income for Long Beach residents.  However, the economic burden can be higher for disadvantaged families, with nearly 10,000 households paying eight percent or more of their annual income for water and sewer expenses.

In conjunction with the release of this report, AWE, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and Long Beach Water are working together to provide water efficient plumbing fixtures and appliances to disadvantaged households in Long Beach. The products are being generously donated by Kohler^© and Whirlpool^©.

“The affordability of water is one of the most important issues facing the water sector right now,” Adel Hagekhalil, General Manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, said. “Climate change is creating the need for new investments in local supplies and greater water efficiency, and we must all work together and try to leverage other resources to keep these supplies as affordable as possible for all those we serve.”

AWE will host a webinar about the report on February 23rd.  Click here for more information and to register.

Click here to view this report, along with other AWE work products.