Assessing Representation, Access, and Transparency Among Decision-Makers in California’s Water Sector

The study analyzed the composition of governing bodies in California’s water sector. It identified 1,980 Public Water Agencies (PWAs) and sampled 688 (or 35%) of them, examining board members and executive (or C-suite) positions. Results show that historically marginalized communities—including women, Latinos and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)—remain significantly underrepresented in these decision-making bodies.