In the town of Cahokia Heights, Illinois, some residents are reporting that their rap water taste disgusting.

Third party testing has discovered the presence of E. Coli. A common bacteria found in the intestines of humans and animals. The town of Cahokia Heights, like many other places across the US, suffers from outdated and aging water pipe infrastructure. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that in the next 20 years, $625 billion will need to be invested to update our water systems.

Who pays for all these upgrades needed?

It’s not the federal government, that’s for sure. The federal government provides less than 5% of the funding necessary for the implementation of new water pipes. The funding will need to come from the residents of Cahokia Heights.

US water utilities are funded almost entirely by customers. They are all high capitol monopolies.

Water affordability is a growing issue. The EPA estimates somewhere between 12 million to 19 million households in the US lack affordable water.

Not only this, but the utilities also face these same challenges. The rising cost for operation and maintenance is causing many utilities to struggle to make ends meet.