Municipal water systems face many challenges, but when they must confront regulatory compliance and financial issues simultaneously, agencies are put in a tight spot where every corrective action will be costly and, ultimately, borne by ratepayers. To better identify the level of financial and regulatory challenges facing municipal water systems, Reason Foundation reviewed municipal water funds listed in the fiscal year 2020 annual comprehensive financial reports issued by U.S. counties and cities. We then cross-referenced this data with violation information provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
EPA assigns water providers violation points based on a complex formula outlined in a
