Water insecurity on the rise in American households

The typical American household consumes approximately 300 gallons of water daily. However, a segment of the population still experiences water insecurity, a troubling trend that is increasing and not limited to the southwestern United States.

A group of Arizona State University academics have documented this emerging development in a new paper titled “When the Household is the Utility: Ensuring Equitable Water Service for Rural U.S. Communities Served by Decentralized Water Systems.”

Co-authoredOthers who contributed to this paper include Elizabeth Wulbrecht, Alaska Native Tribal Health; Patrick Thompson, University of Oxford; Aaron D. Dotson, University of Alaska Anchorage; Kerry A. Hamilton, Arizona State University; Amber Wutich, Arizona State University; and Paul Westerhoff, Arizona State University. by Lee Voth-Gaeddert, a research professor with the Biodesign Institute, and Claire Cropper, a PhD student and researcher in ASU’s Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, the paper reveals that economically disadvantaged populations and rural households that aren’t connected to piped water are much more likely to experience water insecurity.

In terms of numbers, that’s roughly 12% of the U.S. population or about 40 million people, Voth-Gaeddert and Cropper estimate. They provide a clear and innovative framework for how researchers, policymakers, households, utility management and industry can collaborate to systematically address these challenges as climate change becomes more pressing and water becomes more precious.

ASU News spoke with Voth-Gaeddert and Cropper about the issue.

Note: Answers have been edited lightly for length and/or clarity.

Question: What was the impetus for writing this paper?

Voth-Gaeddert: I grew up in rural Kansas where farming was a common way of life. Like many others, we had a well in our backyard. We were lucky that it never ran dry, but we were never quite sure of the quality of that water.

Many years later, having gotten formal training in water engineering, I spend much of my time working with rural communities across the USA and around the world on approaches to accessing clean water. Having had the opportunity to meet many different folks with many different types of water situations — wells, hauling water, rainwater harvesting, etc. — but also knowing what resources are available to help these folks run and operate their systems, we realized we desperately needed to strengthen how the water sector  — engineers, surveyors, plumbers, policymakers, etc. — supported these household not on municipal, centralized water systems.

Cropper: Lee and I both have backgrounds working in communities where households have alternative water systems. When homes aren’t connected to a central water source, they rely on decentralized systems like wells or water that has to be hauled into the area. Before coming to Arizona, I worked as an engineer on projects in rural Alaskan communities, which really opened my eyes to domestic water insecurity. There’s nothing quite like hauling water for 14 hours straight to make you appreciate the challenges of water access!

Q: I believe most people are familiar with the term “food insecurity,” but “water insecurity” in the context of households seems to be less common. Why do you think this is underreported or not well known to the public?

Voth-Gaeddert: I believe it is a matter of perspective and language. For those households whose well runs dry part of the year, they are acutely aware of the idea of water insecurity. They may not call it that, but the underlying premise and root causes are the same. At a larger scale, many folks, including myself, often take for granted being able to turn on (the) kitchen tap and not worrying about if water is going to come out or not. But the reality is many folks, especially in rural USA, have to think about this on a daily basis and actively solve their water problems on their own. We want to change that by aligning available resources with the needs of these households and communities.

Q: Your paper states that 12% of American households are water insecure. What are the reasons for this?

Cropper: It’s really difficult to quantify domestic water insecurity. Many people have private wells or have to haul water to their homes. This leads to large data gaps because we don’t have a lot of information on how these decentralized systems operate and whether they provide enough high-quality water. The true percentage of households that are water insecure is likely even more than 12%. What we do know is that data shows that marginalized and economically disadvantaged populations are much more likely to experience water insecurity. Data also shows that rural households that aren’t connected to piped water are also more at risk.

Water insecurity primarily depends on the division of responsibility and access to resources. Who is responsible for maintaining the water system and making sure water is safe to drink? And what kinds of funding or training do they have? Only 85% of households in the United States are connected to piped water. For the remaining 15%, the responsibilities of water service fall to individual households. Many households experience water insecurity because they do not know how to maintain their systems, or the maintenance and repairs are too expensive. Water treatment equipment for individual households is not designed to minimize maintenance costs; systems require regular maintenance, and the price to replace worn-out parts can add up quickly. Households with decentralized water systems simply have less resources and can easily be left behind.

Q: Are most water insecure households located in the Southwest, and is climate change the reason?

Voth-Gaeddert: There are quite a few folks in the Southwest that are water insecure, but there are households and communities across the USA that would also be considered water insecure. One key aim with this paper was to bring together people that have worked in these various communities to try and lift up the voices and experiences. This is critical when trying to identify patterns as to why folks are water insecure. From a national perspective, water insecurity, especially in decentralized systems — wells, water hauling, etc. — is a complex problem with multiple layers of factors that dictate how well or poorly it functions. 

Cropper: When most people think of climate change and how it impacts water access, they think of droughts and lowering water levels in rivers; both are significant concerns in the Southwest. But there are also other scenarios. In Alaska, I worked on projects where melting permafrost made water treatment buildings sink into the ground and break. We’ve also seen how more extreme storms and flooding can damage infrastructure, resulting in poorer-quality water or limited water access. Water insecurity is fueled by economic and policy gaps, but climate change has made these gaps more challenging to address.

Q: What types of problems or health issues can occur when homes are water insecure?

Voth-Gaeddert: I think about water concerns in several bins: 1. Is it OK for me to drink or cook with? 2. Does it taste good? and 3. How might my water affect my household appliances — anything from treatment devices to dishwashers to CPAP machines?

For health issues, there can be short-term issues that are often related to germs getting into the water. For medium- to long-term issues, we often focus on certain types of chemicals — lead being a common example. But there are effective treatment options for households to use. Treatment options are also commonly used to improve taste of the water or help reduce the hardness of the water. The tricky part in decentralized, non-municipal systems/households is the household is the primary one to make all these decisions around water source, storage and treatment. While in larger centralized systems, we have highly trained staff managing those systems.   

Q: What is being done to rectify water insecurity — can it be fixed through legislation?

Voth-Gaeddert: At a fundamental level, we want engineers, policymakers and practitioners to better appreciate that non-municipal, decentralized systems are still systems even if they are not connected with pipes. That means understanding all the stakeholders involved, their roles and responsibilities, and who bears risk and financing burdens. This can allow us to continue to formalize this portion of the USA water sector, benefiting all folks involved in the system, from policymaker to plumber to household. 

Cropper: In addition, in Arizona, the Governor’s Office has been focused on statewide water security, and as part of this effort, the Arizona Water Innovation Initiative was created. This initiative focuses on identifying technology innovations and policy changes that will improve water security. The development of our paper was partially funded as part of this initiative.

Our paper also provides case studies across the U.S. of successful interventions and policies that improve water security. In New Mexico, the Colonias Infrastructure Fund allocates funding specifically to marginalized Colonias communities, which have high rates of water insecurity. Additionally, there are several examples across the U.S. where decentralized systems are served by utility-style organizations where households pay a set monthly fee to have their systems maintained. The legislature can support these types of models by rethinking how we classify, regulate and create utilities.

Ultimately, improving water security requires legislation to focus on the ongoing operation and maintenance of decentralized water systems — not just the initial capital construction funds.