Failing water infrastructure disproportionately hurts our already disadvantaged communities
The infrastructure Californians rely on to move water throughout the state is aging, deteriorating and in desperate need of repair. The cost of doing nothing will be borne by all water users — cities, towns, businesses, farms and the environment.
However, the negative impacts from further neglect will land disproportionately on already disadvantaged communities.
In California, nearly one million people lack access to clean drinking water, and more than 350,000 of them are in the San Joaquin Valley. Most of these people live in low-income rural areas and they are predominantly people of color.
The water systems serving these areas, if they exist at all, are very small. They lack the economies of scale of larger water districts which can spread costs for updated infrastructure and water treatment systems among a large customer base. Many of these smaller systems fail to meet state or federal safety standards. And if they do make system upgrades, the small number of customers means the resulting rate increases are often exorbitant, replacing one burden with another.
In many cases, there is no public water system at all, and residents rely on individual or community wells with no treatment of the water before it reaches their homes.
When drought hits, as is happening this year, they are among the first to lose water. And once the water goes, so do jobs and quality of life. In its recent report on lessons learned from the last drought, the California Legislative Analyst commented that the decreased agricultural production that comes as a result of decreased water supply negatively impacts the economy in these same communities.
Equally frustrating is that part of the solution is tantalizingly close. A study done by the University of California, Davis, found that many of these people live close to public systems with clean water. However, without the necessary investment in infrastructure, they cannot connect to the bigger systems.
In 2019, California passed legislation establishing a state fund to improve the quality of water in disadvantaged communities. While an important step, the reality is that the kind of financial investment needed to fix the problems may require both state and federal spending. And support from local state representatives is essential in the effort to modernize our water supply system for everyone.
That’s why a coalition representing thousands of farmers, ranchers, water providers, businesses and communities have joined together to urge our federal partners to include water infrastructure in upcoming legislation.
In addition to fixing what is already in place, this is an opportunity to “Build
Back Better” as the Biden-Harris administration says it wants to do.
That means not just repairing existing infrastructure, but also investing in new ways of doing things. There is new, innovative technology available on recycling and desalination. The effects of climate change tell us we must build new storage for both surface and ground water. Science has also taught us that habitat restoration is an important component of a healthy water supply.
And addressing these critical infrastructure needs does so much more than secure our water future. It will not only bring clean water to low-income, minority communities, it will create jobs and help in our economic recovery. It will also help us adjust to climate change, better protect the environment and help maintain a safe and abundant local food supply.
In 2012, California law established access to clean water as a human right. We call on our local representatives, and all our federal partners to join us in fulfilling that promise. Standing on the edge of another drought, all Californians are watching to see if our state and federal leaders will take this opportunity to secure our water future.