本文介绍了一项研究的结果，该研究考察了实际和实际水价的行为趋势。在这项研究中，分析了1960年、1970年和1980年美国的152家供水公司。根据每月的工程量，研究了四个费率水平变量，包括小型住宅用途、大型住宅用途、商业用途和工业用途。结果表明，在过去20年中，水价的增长往往落后于通货膨胀率。根据过去十年的快速通货膨胀率进行调整后，实际水价在许多情况下低于20世纪60年代。工业用水价格的上涨速度高于商业或住宅用水价格。表8包括参考文献。

This paper presents the results of a study which examined trends in the behavior of actual and real water prices. For this study, 152 water utilities in the United States were analyzed for the years 1960, 1970, and 1980. Four rate level variables, based on quantities per month, were examined and included small residential use, large residential use, commercial use, and industrial use. Results reveal that increases in water rates have tended to lag behind the rate of inflation during the past two decades. The real price of water, when adjusted for the rapid rate of inflation during the past decade, is less, in many cases, than during the 1960s. The price of water for industrial uses has risen at a higher rate than the price of water for commercial or residential use. Includes 8 references, tables.