[20200513]IN11338_2019冠状病毒疾病与公共供水服务的连续性.pdf

CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress INSIGHTINSIGHTi i COVID-19 and Public Water Service Continuity Elena H. Humphreys Analyst in Environmental Policy Mary Tiemann Specialist in Environmental Policy Updated May 13, 2020 The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has increased attention to several issues regarding the provision of public water services. These include long-standing water-rate affordability concerns, the importance of clean water to public health, and the financial sustainability of some public water systems (whether publicly or privately owned). The spread of COVID-19 has raised specific concerns regarding the continuity of residential water services needed to support hand-washing and other public health measuresparticularly as more customers may become unable to pay water bills because of job losses or reduced income. At the same time, water service providers are projecting substantial revenue losses related to COVID-19. Policy options being discussed to alleviate such impacts and help ensure the continuity of water service include providing temporary assistance to households and/or water systems. The power to control water service shuto