Representation and electoral systems in drinking water provision in California: Does it matter for human right to water outcomes?

Keywords: drinking water, environmental justice, representation, elections,
Abstract Type: Paper Abstract

Abstract

Lack of access to safe and affordable drinking water is a global challenge including in the United States where tens of millions are impacted by primary health violations of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act annually. Those denied their human right to water in the United States are primarily low-income people of color. As such addressing drinking water disparities is a critical consideration for advancing environmental justice in the country. Our ability to do so, however, has been limited by an overly technocratic and depoliticized view of drinking water access focused on economies of scale and unequal access to infrastructure. While important, research on the role of governance in mediating drinking water disparities is needed to advance our understanding of the root causes of these inequities, and ultimately, to solve them.

Research from various scholarly disciplines indicates that diverse representation in decision-making improves performance across a variety of contexts from school boards to corporate boards. Relatedly, electoral design is frequently cited as critical to enabling citizen participation and for holding elected officials accountable although empirical evidence of this effect is more mixed. This paper extends these lines of inquiry into a drinking water context to better understand the socio-political factors influencing equitable access to safe, affordable drinking water via California’s 3,000 Community Water Systems.