Experiences of water poverty in the metropolitan area of Barcelona: implications for the Global North

Water poverty, primarily understood as a problem of affordability, is increasingly important in developed countries. It burdens vulnerable households with mounting debts or deprives them of this fundamental resource. Faced with this threat, households may modify their habits to reduce consumption and seek also assistance to reduce the amount of the water bill. Both strategies imply stressful efforts, often exacerbated by unexpected events like the COVID-19 pandemic. Using semi-structured interviews with 35 vulnerable households in a working-class town near Barcelona, in this paper, we blend a quantitative assessment of home water habits with a qualitative analysis of strategies to reduce water bill costs. Results reveal a strong commitment to water savings but clashes with essential household needs, particularly for children. Respondents lament that despite intense water saving, bills remain high, given water's perceived expense and limited subsidy access. In sum, addressing the issue of water poverty from the subjective experience of those struggling against it in their daily lives allows us to identify situations where the basic physical and mental comfort of the more vulnerable is under severe stress. These experiences and perceptions are linked to socio-political and economic processes such as accumulation by dispossession or ecological modernization, contributing to water poverty. HIGHLIGHTS It is necessary to conceive water poverty beyond efficiency. Low-income households are double vulnerable due to a lack of knowledge and effective advice. There is water insecurity and a lack of water comfort in many low-income households. The impacts of water poverty often escape detection by social services and water supply companies. Water poverty may attain a magnitude and severity that remains socially unnoticed.