Water Equity
Black, Indigenous, Communities of Color, and low-income communities face extreme structural disparities in affordability, water quality concerns, flooding, and more. Yet water can be a force for equity and opportunity, occurring when all communities have access to safe, clean, affordable drinking water and wastewater services; share in the economic, social, and environmental benefits of water systems; are resilient in the face of floods, drought, and other climate risks; and have a role in decision-making processes for water management in their communities.
With the imperative for racial justice and the historic federal investment in water infrastructure in the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, people and organizations across the water sector are making meaningful progress in addressing these structural disparities that have existed for too long. We have the responsibility—and the opportunity—to advance an equitable water future for all.