Disadvantaged communities and drinking water: a case study of Los Angeles County

Abstract

This paper discusses the challenges facing urban water systems in disadvantaged communities (DACs) using Los Angeles County as a case study area. We review issues of water contamination and rising water costs in the context of a highly fragmented and variable landscape of community water system sizes, types and available resources. A consideration of available state aid follows, including earmarks for disadvantaged communities, the criteria for qualifying as such, and the process of documenting disadvantaged status. We then present a useful data-driven technique for estimating the median incomes of community water system service areas. Examination of these case study results shows: (1) many local pockets of poverty cannot qualify as disadvantaged communities under current California laws and regulations; (2) extreme geographic concentrations of disadvantaged systems and class-based segregation call into question both the policy of agency consolidation and the presumptions of economies of scale on which it rests, and (3) Urban systems that are now potentially eligible for funds as DACs have far more difficulty than rural systems documenting their low median incomes due to complex and fragmented census geographies. We recommend applying our technique statewide to pre-qualify DAC water systems for state assistance, thus removing much uncertainty and risk for community water agencies considering applying for state funds.