The Struggle for Water Justice

February 07, 2018

The Struggle for Water Justice: Disadvantaged Unincorporated Communities in California's San Joaquin Valley

Authors: Jonathan K. London, Amanda Fenci, Sara Watterson, Jennifer Jarin, Alfonso Aranda, Aaron King, Camille Pannu, Phoebe Seaton, Laurel Fireston, Mia Dawson, and Peter Nguyen

In California, lack of access to clean, safe, and affordable water is a threat to public health and well-being, and violates the state's newly codified Human Right to Water (AB 685). In low-income communities located outside city boundaries (known as disadvantaged unincorporated communities or DUCs), drinking water is often unsafe to drink. The disparities that affect residents of DUCs in the San Joaquin Valley and elsewhere in California are deeply rooted in the political, economic, and social dynamics of the region's modern history. This report analyzes this situation in detail, and offers several recommendations to inform policy and advocacy on how to improve water access to these communities.

To review the executive summary: The Struggle for Water Justice
Para revisar el resumen ejecutivo en Español: La Lucha por La Justicia del Agua
To review the full report: The Struggle for Water Justice

Appendices and Data Tables:
Appendices
Table 3B. Least Cost Path Analysis
Map 1. DUCs and Access to Community Water Systems
Map 2. Compliance Status of DUCs Within or Intersected by Community Water Systems
Map 3. DUCs Within or Intersected by Out‐Of‐Compliance Community Water Systems
Map 4. Proximity of DUCs to Incorporated City Boundaries
Map 5. Proximity of DUCs to In‐Compliance Public Systems