Over the last decade, water bills in Los Angeles County have risen nearly 60% on average, outpacing inflation and adding to financial strain for low-income households, according to a UCLA report. The researchers compared average costs for the same amount of drinking water in 2015 and 2025, and said the results show water affordability is an escalating problem in Southern California. … In addition to water costs, the researchers looked at quality as they updated their Southern California Water Systems Atlas with details on 663 water systems across six counties that serve about 40% of California’s population.