Many lower-income Kentucky residents struggle to pay their water bills, pointing up the need for programs to assist them, according to a study by an advocacy organization.

For instance, the analysis found that at 4,000 gallons of use a month, the cost of water from the main system would be a financial burden for people with the lowest 20% of incomes in 72.6% of nearly 1,200 Census tracts across the state.

The study defined water prices as a burden if people had to pay 2% or more of their household income.

“Access to clean, affordable water is a human right, but it is becoming increasingly difficult for consumers to pay their water bills,” the study said.

The Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center in Whitesburg, a non-profit law firm and advocacy organization, did the statewide analysis. The authors were Rebecca Shelton, director of policy at the center; Mary Cromer, deputy director; and independent researcher Ricki Draper.