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Linking variation in water democracy to system performance on the human right to water

Dobbin, Kristin1; Fencl, Amanda2; McBride, Justin3

Published Sep 16, 2025 on Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.w0vt4b932

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Abstract

While scholars regularly associate fragmentation with drinking water disparities, here we consider the potential role of another consequence: variable levels of water democracy. We characterize voter enfranchisement across 2,405 California water systems and evaluate their performance with respect to three tenants of the Human Right to Water: access to safe, affordable, and accessible drinking water. Most systems limit enfranchisement beyond U.S. government election standards. Systems with enfranchisement limited to property owners are more likely to be at risk for unaffordability. Systems with no residential enfranchisement, located in the poorest communities with higher proportions of African Americans, are far more likely to rely on a single water source. The results highlight associations between water democracy and affordable, accessible drinking water with uneven impacts across the population. Understanding the role of governance in shaping inequities is essential for designing effective interventions to advance environmental justice.