AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – More than half of all full-time workers in Augusta-Richmond County do not earn enough to cover basic living expenses, according to new research by the United Way.

The findings are part of the United Way’s ALICE report — an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed.

Nationally, the organization says at least 42% of U.S. households are struggling to make ends meet.

In Augusta-Richmond County, that share exceeds half the local workforce.

Who is affected most

Health care, retail, manufacturing and food service workers are among the most affected in the area.

According to the data, more than 5,000 health care workers in the region earn $12 an hour.

The United Way’s research indicates a worker needs to earn at least $24 an hour — twice that amount — to cover basic necessities in Augusta. Those basics include housing, child care, food, transportation, health care and technology.

Growing demand for services

The United Way and the Salvation Army said ALICE working families are the fastest-growing population in need in Augusta.

The Salvation Army is also building a new shelter to address the growing need among families.

Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Augusta leaders want customers to know that the drinking water here is safe.

They issued a statement this week amid a nationwide focus on the potential dangers of long-lasting chemicals known as PFAS.

“Augusta Utilities is aware of recent media coverage regarding PFAS compounds, sometimes referred to as ‘forever chemicals,’” the city said. “Augusta’s drinking water meets all current state and federal health standards and remains safe to drink.”

The Georgia Environmental Protection Division, which oversees drinking water enforcement under the Safe Drinking Water Act, has not issued any public health advisory for Augusta’s water system, city officials said.

City water is routinely tested for more than 182 regulated contaminants, officials said, and all levels remain within established health-based guidelines.

Water quality testing is conducted regularly and reported to both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Georgia Environmental Protection Division.

PFAS compounds − formally known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances − are being monitored nationwide under new federal standards established in 2024.

The chemicals, used in consumer products for decades, are hard to break down, so they are called “forever chemicals.”

Augusta Utilities continues to monitor these compounds as required and is evaluating treatment options to meet future regulatory timelines, city officials said.

You can review Augusta’s annual water quality report at: https://www.augustaga.gov/751/Water-Quality-Reports.

Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) -Hundreds of millions of dollars have been allocated to expand mental health care in Georgia through the construction of a new state hospital, and Augusta is among the locations under consideration.

Mental health advocates in Augusta say local facilities currently offer only short-term treatment, and patients with more severe needs are often required to travel to Atlanta for care. Even there, a lack of inpatient beds and a backlog for state hospital placement leaves many patients without the care they need.

NAMI Augusta weighs in

Peter Menk, a board member for the National Alliance on Mental Illness Augusta chapter, said the new facility would serve a significant number of people in the region.

“MCG had shut down. The VA uptown is more military oriented. Even going back in the day into Gracewood, a huge facility that helped a lot of people,” Menk said. “This funding will really go a long way in the state of Georgia to really become kind of a centerpiece for health care in general.”

Augusta’s role in the conversation

Talks have indicated Atlanta may be the site of the new state hospital, though other locations — including Augusta — are still being considered. State Sen. Blake Tillery said Augusta remains part of the discussion.

“The good news is if it doesn’t go to Augusta in the first round, we need to build three of these,” Tillery said. “So we’re going to have to build another one in order to have the bed space necessary to make sure that our jails aren’t being used as our state’s mental health hospitals. So do know that yes, Augusta is going to be pivotal to this conversation.”

Local provider moves forward with its own facility

Serenity Behavioral Health Crisis Center has also begun work on its own facility in the Augusta area, with a planned opening in May. The center said it hopes the facility will provide more beds and resources, and ease the burden on law enforcement and hospitals in the region.

Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.