Water rates in the United States have risen more than twice as much as groceries over the past decade, and more than 1.5 times the overall rate of inflation, which has left Bay Area residents with some of the biggest water bills in the nation, according to a new report.
An analysis of the country’s 500 largest community water providers, published by the consumer advocacy group Food and Water Watch on Tuesday, cites the privately held San Jose Water Company as the nation’s most expensive water retailer. The utility’s rates are more than 2.5 times the national average, the report says.
Also among the 15 U.S. water providers with the highest rates are the Marin Municipal Water District, San Jose’s municipal water department and the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. Thirteen of the 25 most expensive providers are in California, with their rates averaging more than twice the national average…