Advancing Affordability through Water Efficiency

Pacific Institute | September 19th, 2022

This paper examines the relationship between water conservation and efficiency and affordability. Specifically, it examines the near-term effect of water conservation and

This paper examines the relationship between water conservation and efficiency and affordability. Specifically, it examines the near-term effect of water conservation and efficiency on utility bills, i.e., water, wastewater, and energy bills, for conserving households and the longer term effect on water and wastewater costs for the larger community. Finally, the paper identifies common barriers for low- income and other hard-to-reach customers to participate in conservation and efficiency programs, and proposes strategies to overcome those barriers.

An integrated framework for stormwater management and life cycle assessment of rainwater harvesting: A comparative study of two underserved communities

Science of the Total Environment (Elsevier) | November 4th, 2024

Annual Report Clean Water State Revolving Fund and the Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014 State Fiscal Year 2017-2018

California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) | December 30th, 2018

The California State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board), Division of Financial Assistance (DFA) presents the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) annua

The California State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board), Division of Financial Assistance (DFA) presents the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) annual report for State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2017-18. The State Water Board provided approximately $707 million in new CWSRF financing to 44 projects in SFY 2017-18, which represent a wide variety of projects eligible under the CWSRF. This report describes how the State Water Board met the objectives identified in the SFY 2017-18 CWSRF Intended Use Plan (IUP). 

Arsenic in California Drinking Water

Environmental Integrity Project | September 15th, 2016

More than three years after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found California in noncompliance with the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, 95 community water system

More than three years after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found California in noncompliance with the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, 95 community water systems in the state, serving more than 55,000 people, are still providing water with illegal levels of arsenic, according to an examination of state data for the last two years. Arsenic occurs naturally in the soil and groundwater in parts of California and is a known carcinogen that may also damage the developing brains of children and cause other health problems. Many of the people drinking excessive levels of arsenic are poor and/or Latino or African- American, with a cluster in the San Joaquin Valley. Nearly all have been exposed to excessive arsenic levels for at least five years and probably longer.

Assessing virtual water trade and inequalities in household water footprints across California’s counties

Publisher not available | March 20th, 2025

The concept of virtual water trade suggests water flows from water-rich to water-scarce regions, but local disparities are often overlooked. This study uses a multi-regio

The concept of virtual water trade suggests water flows from water-rich to water-scarce regions, but local disparities are often overlooked. This study uses a multi-regional input-output (MRIO) model to assess virtual water transfers among California’s 58 counties and the rest of the conterminous U.S. in 2017. Results show the Central Valley exported large volumes of virtual water via water-intensive crops (e.g., fruits and vegetables) but imported water embodied in industrial, mining, and thermoelectric processes. These imports eased water stress in the Central and South Coast but left Central Valley scarcity unresolved. Linking household consumption with MRIO reveals the highest-income group (over US$200k) had per capita water footprints 1.8 times larger than the lowest-income group (below US$15k). Although household size and consumption patterns mitigated this gap, Central Valley’s high water intensity fueled excessive footprints. The study underscores the need for targeted, equitable water management policies, promoting more effective water conservation strategies.

Assessing Water Affordability

Pacific Institute | August 14th, 2013

A new pilot study in California shows many households, even within affluent communities, routinely spend over the affordability threshold of 2 percent of their household

A new pilot study in California shows many households, even within affluent communities, routinely spend over the affordability threshold of 2 percent of their household income on their water bill. The number of water systems with “unaffordable” rates varies by region and measure used – which has important implications for policy makers. Assessing Water Affordability: A Pilot Study in Two Regions of California, from the Pacific Institute in partnership with Community Water Center and Fresno State University, looks at both an urban and rural case: the Sacramento metropolitan area and the Tulare Lake Basin. In Sacramento, using the most common form of determining affordability – the annual water bill as a percent of median household income at the water system scale – few water systems appeared to suffer from unaffordable rates. In contrast, in the Tulare Lake Basin, 18 percent of systems had unaffordable rates. Using a more fine-grained measure based on household income levels reveals even higher levels of unaffordability in both regions. In the Sacramento metropolitan region, measuring on a water-system-wide scale vs. a household scale means the difference between recognizing zero water systems with unaffordable rates vs. 100,000 households with unaffordable water rates. In the rural Tulare Lake Basin, measuring on these different scales means finding only nine out of 51 water systems with unaffordable rates vs. nearly 4000 households with unaffordable water rates – some 40% of the households in the study group. “Water rate affordability is a central element to water access, and cost makes water excludable and inaccessible to those who cannot afford it,” said Dr. Juliet Christian-Smith of the Pacific Institute. “Water affordability is also a major concern to public welfare, safety, and security. When households are unable to make their water payments, consequences can include public health crises, social unrest, and lost revenue for water providers that can threaten their fiscal stability.” The study’s results show that a significant number of areas within water systems have unaffordable rates, even if the system as a whole does not, and so it may be more important to consider household income rather than median income when assessing and addressing water affordability.

At Risk: Public Supply Well Vulnerability Under California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act

Pacific Institute | June 1st, 2021

California’s Climate Adaptation Water Strategy: An Analysis of Implications for Individual and Community Rights and Responsibilities

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | July 31st, 2009

The inevitable consequences of climate change will put some of California's people and communities more at risk than others. Because of location and a limited capacity to

The inevitable consequences of climate change will put some of California's people and communities more at risk than others. Because of location and a limited capacity to adapt, vulnerable populations may face profound and disproportionate harm. California's Climate Adaptation Strategy planners are seeking ways to address this potential harm. The California Adaptation Strategy (CAS) Working Groups are seeking to address the impact of climate change on the state’s vulnerable populations. This analysis therefore asks how California can create a policy environment for equitable adaptation processes and outcomes. This analysis begins with a literature review on equity issues in adaptation planning, then examines the Water Working Group’s draft climate adaptation strategies, and then presents the results of twenty-six expert interviews. Two key concerns in the development of adaptation policy that arise in this analysis are feedback loops between vulnerable communities and policymakers and direct access to resources to enable greater adaptive capacity. While this analysis looks closest at the Water Working Group’s strategies, it is anticipated that many of the findings will apply to the overall strategy.

Californians Without Safe Water and Sanitation

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | October 30th, 2014

While most Californians enjoy access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation, some residents live in communities or areas that do not have access to safe drinking

While most Californians enjoy access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation, some residents live in communities or areas that do not have access to safe drinking water and/or adequate sanitation facilities. This report provides a framework for estimating the number of Californians that lack safe drinking water and/or adequate sanitation facilities.  It also focuses on small (rural and urban) communities and tribal communities who often face similar challenges in accessing safe water and providing adequate sanitation. These challenges include aging infrastructure, more stringent water quality standards, financial capacity, and the affordability of operation and maintenance costs associated with new treatment systems. This report was prepared as part of the California Water Plan Update 2013 process and is an update to the 2005 Californians without Safe Water report. It continues the dialogue regarding Californians without safe drinking water and/or adequate sanitation facilities and includes 14 recommendations towards ensuring that all Californians have safe drinking water and adequate sanitation facilities. The report also highlights Governor Brown’s goal of ensuring that all Californians have access to safe drinking water, as specified by his signing of Assembly Bill (AB) 685 and the release of the California Water Action Plan that includes Action 7, “Provide Safe Water for All Communities.” In recent years, there has been significant progress in heightening the awareness of the drinking water and sanitation problems facing small and disadvantaged communities in California, as evidenced by the numerous plans and reports on the issue. However, despite these efforts, there is still a lot of work to do to ensure that all Californians have access to safe drinking water and sanitation. In support of this effort, the report lists 14 recommendations that were developed with input from State agencies and public stakeholders.

Californians Without Safe Water and Sanitation: California Water Plan Update 2013

California Department of Water Resources (DWR) | February 20th, 2015

This report was prepared as part of the California Water Plan Update 2013 process and is an update to the 2005 Californians without Safe Water report. It continues the d

This report was prepared as part of the California Water Plan Update 2013 process and is an update to the 2005 Californians without Safe Water report. It continues the dialogue regarding Californians without safe drinking water and/or adequate sanitation facilities and includes 14 recommendations towards ensuring that all Californians have safe drinking water and adequate sanitation facilities. The report also highlights Governor Brown’s goal of ensuring that all Californians have access to safe drinking water, as specified by his signing of Assembly Bill (AB) 685 and the release of the California Water Action Plan that includes Action 7, “Provide Safe Water for All Communities.”