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1. Water affordability and human right to water implications in California

   https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0245237  

   Goddard, Jessica J.; Ray, Isha; Balazs, Carolina (January 2021, PLOS ONE)

   Thet Wai, Khin (Ed.)

   Water affordability is central to water access but remains a challenge to measure. California enshrined the human right to safe and affordable water in 2012 but the question remains: how should water affordability be measured across the state? This paper contributes to this question in three steps. First, we identify key dimensions of water affordability measures (including scale, volume of water needed to meet ‘basic’ needs, and affordability criteria) and a cross-cutting theme (social equity). Second, using these dimensions, we develop three affordability ratios measured at the water system scale for households with median, poverty level, and deep poverty (i.e., half the poverty level) incomes and estimate the corresponding percentage of households at these income levels. Using multiple measures conveys a fuller picture of affordability given the known limitations of specific affordability measures. Third, we analyze our results disaggregated by a key characteristic of water system vulnerability–water system size. We find that water is relatively affordable for median income households. However, we identify high unaffordability for households in poverty in a large fraction of water systems. We identify several scenarios with different policy implications for the human right to water, such as very small systems with high water bills and low-income households within large water systems. We also characterize how data gaps complicate theoretical ideals and present barriers in human right to water monitoring efforts. This paper presents a systematic approach to measuring affordability and represents the first statewide assessment of water affordability within California’s community water systems. 

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2. Unexpected growth of an illegal water market

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-023-01177-7  

   Klassert, Christian; Yoon, Jim; Sigel, Katja; Klauer, Bernd; Talozi, Samer; Lachaut, Thibaut; Selby, Philip; Knox, Stephen; Avisse, Nicolas; Tilmant, Amaury; et al (November 2023, Nature Sustainability)

   Abstract Scarce and unreliable urban water supply in many countries has caused municipal users to rely on transfers from rural wells via unregulated markets. Assessments of this pervasive water re-allocation institution and its impacts on aquifers, consumer equity and affordability are lacking. We present a rigorous coupled human–natural system analysis of rural-to-urban tanker water market supply and demand in Jordan, a quintessential example of a nation relying heavily on such markets, fed by predominantly illegal water abstractions. Employing a shadow-economic approach validated using multiple data types, we estimate that unregulated water sales exceed government licences 10.7-fold, equalling 27% of the groundwater abstracted above sustainable yields. These markets supply 15% of all drinking water at high prices, account for 52% of all urban water revenue and constrain the public supply system’s ability to recover costs. We project that household reliance on tanker water will grow 2.6-fold by 2050 under population growth and climate change. Our analysis suggests that improving the efficiency and equity of public water supply is needed to ensure water security while avoiding uncontrolled groundwater depletion by growing tanker markets. 

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3. A systematic review of social equity in FEWS analyses

   https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2023.1028306  

   Stone, Tiffanie F.; Dickey, Loulou C.; Summers, Haleigh; Thompson, Janette R.; Rehmann, Chris R.; Zimmerman, Emily; Tyndall, John (March 2023, Frontiers in Environmental Science)

   Integrating social equity considerations into analyses of the food-energy-water systems nexus (FEWS) could improve understanding of how to meet increasing resource demands without impacting social vulnerabilities. Effective integration requires a robust definition of equity and an enhanced understanding of reliable FEWS analysis methods. By exploring how equity has been incorporated into FEWS research in the United States and countries with similar national development, this systematic literature review builds a knowledge base to address a critical research need. Our objectives were to 1) catalog analysis methods and metrics relevant to assessing FEWS equity at varying scales; 2) characterize current studies and interpret shared themes; and 3) identify opportunities for future research and the advancement of equitable FEWS governance. FEWS equity definitions and metrics were categorized by respective system (food, energy, water, overall nexus) and common governance scales (local, regional, national, global). Two central issues were climate change, which increases FEWS risks for vulnerable populations, and sustainable development, which offers a promising framework for integrating equity and FEWS in policy-making contexts. Social equity in FEWS was integrated into studies through affordability, access, and sociocultural elements. This framework could support researchers and practitioners to include equity in FEWS analysis tools based on study scale, purpose, and resource availability. Research gaps identified during the review included a lack of studies effectively integrating all three systems, a need for publicly available datasets, omission of issues related to energy conversion facilities, and opportunities for integration of environmental justice modalities into FEWS research. This paper synthesized how social equity has previously been incorporated into FEWS and outlines pathways for further consideration of equity within nexus studies. Our findings suggested that continued exploration of connections between FEWS, equity, and policy development across scales could reduce social risks and vulnerabilities associated with these systems. 

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4. A Review of Social and Organizational Barriers to Water Reuse in the United States

   https://doi.org/10.1002/wat2.70009  

   Scruggs, Caroline E; Hacker, Miriam E (January 2025, WIREs Water)

   ABSTRACT Water reuse is increasingly seen as a necessary part of municipal and regional water planning, driven by climate change, increasing populations, economic development, nutrient management, and supply diversification, among other factors. However, only a small fraction of the water discharged every day from municipal, industrial, agricultural, and oil and gas operations across the United States is formally reused. Despite the need for water reuse in water planning, barriers to adoption exist across several social and organizational dimensions: cost and rate development, policy and regulation, capacity development, organizational dynamics, and equity and environmental justice. This overview reviews these dimensions, synthesizing major findings from the literature and highlighting areas where additional research is needed. Existing work has focused on economic considerations of reuse and regulatory and policy impacts. While some research exists across the other dimensions presented, there is a need to expand what we know about organizational factors impacting the adoption of water reuse, including workforce and capacity building and equity implications. 

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5. Unexpected growth of an illegal water market

   Klassert, Christian; Yoon, Jim; Sigel, Katja; Klauer, Bernd; Talozi, Samer; Lachaut, Thibaut; Selby, Philip; Knox, Stephen; Avisse, Nicolas; Tilmant, Amaury; et al (August 2023, Nature Sustainability)

   Abstract Scarce and unreliable urban water supply in many countries has caused municipal users to rely on transfers from rural wells via unregulated markets. Assessments of this pervasive water re-allocation institution and its impacts on aquifers, consumer equity and affordability are lacking. We present a rigorous coupled human–natural system analysis of rural-to-urban tanker water market supply and demand in Jordan, a quintessential example of a nation relying heavily on such markets, fed by predominantly illegal water abstractions. Employing a shadow-economic approach validated using multiple data types, we estimate that unregulated water sales exceed government licences 10.7-fold, equalling 27% of the groundwater abstracted above sustainable yields. These markets supply 15% of all drinking water at high prices, account for 52% of all urban water revenue and constrain the public supply system’s ability to recover costs. We project that household reliance on tanker water will grow 2.6-fold by 2050 under population growth and climate change. Our analysis suggests that improving the efficiency and equity of public water supply is needed to ensure water security while avoiding uncontrolled groundwater depletion by growing tanker markets. 

   more » « less