Expensive, bad water: How an ‘upside-down water system’ plagues rural communities of color

For years, Michael Prado has provided bottled water to his neighbors in Sultana, a town of about 785 people in California’s Central Valley. That’s because most wells in town have been contaminated by runoff from agriculture, said Prado, who is president of the Sultana Community Services District. Only one well meets state standards for safe drinking water — he’s glad the town has it, but it’s not enough.

“We’ve been crossing our fingers and toes that the drought (wouldn’t) dry our well up. Due to the fact that we live in an agricultural area and this is a little community, we would be devastated,” he said. Prado worries that if the town’s remaining up-to-standard well dries up, even more residents would have to boil tap water before using it or rely on bottled water.

“We are in dire need of a new well,” he said.

Prado’s neighbors are far from alone. Millions of people in the United States lack access to safe drinking water. Rural communities of color like Sultana, which is majority Hispanic, are disproportionately affected by this crisis. There, some families spend up to 10% of their monthly income on water. And yet the federal government underfunds communities of color when it comes to water infrastructure, according to a recent report from the Community Water Center, a California advocacy group.

“These racialized disparities in access to safe drinking water and effective wastewater services are occurring because of decades of disinvestment,” said Jenny Rempel, co-author of the report and a Ph.D. candidate at the University of California, Berkeley. In California alone, 300 towns do not supply safe drinking water to residents, the report found.

Advocates say the Farm Bill, a massive piece of legislation that is voted on every five years and determines how the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) disburses billions in federal funding, is a chance to finally invest in these communities’ water systems.

“The Farm Bill has funding that can really help address a lot of these gaps,” said Susana de Anda, executive director of the Community Water Center. She said the legislation should increase investments, particularly grants, in rural Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities; fund an annual audit of the USDA to determine which communities actually receive water infrastructure funding; and push the agency to deepen relationships with community-based organizations to ensure long-neglected populations have a voice in the planning process.

“It’s clear that (low-income people of color) have been left out of water planning, and more importantly, they’ve been left out of intentional funding designed for them to really meet their needs and solve the issue,” de Anda added.

When reached for comment, a USDA Rural Development spokesperson said that the administration is “committed to addressing the infrastructure needs of America’s most historically underserved communities” and added that the agency is “strengthening its efforts to provide technical and financial support to BIPOC communities and historically underserved areas that need it most.”

The racial and rural water gap has its roots in historic neglect. For decades, the Central Valley has attracted migrant farmworkers, many of whom were forced into temporary housing without basic resources like electricity or running water. Many of these settlements, like Sultana, became permanent, but never received municipal services.

Rural communities of color were historically excluded from being annexed into cities with utility services, a phenomenon known as “municipal underbounding,” said Camille Pannu, an associate clinical professor at Columbia Law School who has studied water access issues in California.

This led to communities like Sultana remaining unincorporated and lacking many public services — like adequate wells and water treatment systems. “You end up having this upside-down water system where you have the lowest-income people paying the highest bills for terrible water,” Pannu said. She said that weak water infrastructure often forces residents to turn to building their own private wells or purchasing bottled water.

In agricultural communities like Sultana, water isn’t just hard to access. When it comes from the ground, it’s often contaminated with nitrates, arsenic and pesticides; these contaminants are linked to cancer, lung and heart disease, among other ailments. Treating that water can add hundreds of dollars to residents’ yearly water and sewer bills, according to a recent report from the Environmental Working Group.

Federal funds can help ease the burden, but only if these communities are able to access them, said Rempel, the doctoral researcher. “Communities need a lot of capacity and resources to be able to apply for and access these

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

The article discusses the lack of access to safe drinking water in rural communities, particularly those of color, and the need for investment in water infrastructure. This aligns with SDG 6, which aims to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. The article also highlights the racial disparities in access to safe drinking water, addressing the issue of reduced inequalities (SDG 10). Additionally, the article mentions the lack of municipal services and weak water infrastructure in unincorporated communities, which relates to the goal of sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11).

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 6.1: By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all.
• SDG 6.2: By 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations.
• SDG 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.
• SDG 11.1: By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums.

Based on the article’s content, the specific targets that can be identified include achieving universal access to safe drinking water (SDG 6.1), ensuring access to adequate sanitation and hygiene (SDG 6.2), promoting social and economic inclusion (SDG 10.2), and ensuring access to basic services (SDG 11.1).

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Percentage of population with access to safe drinking water
• Percentage of population with access to adequate sanitation and hygiene
• Percentage of population in rural communities of color with access to safe drinking water
• Percentage of monthly income spent on water by families in rural communities of color

The article mentions the lack of access to safe drinking water and the financial burden placed on families in rural communities of color. These indicators can be used to measure progress towards the targets of universal access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation, as well as the reduction of inequalities in access to water services.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

SDGs	Targets	Indicators
SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation	6.1: By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all.	Percentage of population with access to safe drinking water
SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation	6.2: By 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations.	Percentage of population with access to adequate sanitation and hygiene
	SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities	Percentage of population in rural communities of color with access to safe drinking water
SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities	10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.	Percentage of monthly income spent on water by families in rural communities of color
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities	11.1: By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums.	N/A

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Source: farmersadvance.com

 

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