Abstract
The Drinking Water Tool (DWT) is a community-driven online tool that provides diverse users with information about drinking water sources and threats to drinking water quality and access due to drought. Development of the DWT was guided by the Community Water Center (CWC) as part of the Water Equity Science Shop (WESS), a research partnership integrating elements of community-based participatory research and the European Science Shop model. The WESS engages in scientific projects that inform policy change, advance water justice, and reduce cumulative exposure and disproportionate health burdens among impacted communities in California. WESS researchers conducted qualitative analysis of 15 stakeholder interviews regarding the DWT, including iterative feedback and the stakeholder consultation process as well as stakeholder perceptions of the tool’s impact on California water policy, organizing, and research. Results indicate that the DWT and the stakeholder engagement process which developed it were effective in influencing policy priorities and in promoting interagency coordination at multiple levels to address water equity challenges and their disproportionate burdens, particularly among rural and low socioeconomic status areas and communities of color.
Highlights
Based on an analysis of interview themes, we demonstrate that the stakeholder-engaged process used to develop the Drinking Water Tool (DWT) influenced discussion and decisions regarding the mechanisms by which to achieve the aims of California’s Human
The DWT development process as steered by the Community Water Center (CWC) involved a unique collaboration between university researchers, the Cal-EPA’s OEHHA, technical consultants, and CWC staff
Multiple interviewees indicated that the relationships among these different collaborative elements were critical to ensuring the success of the project and its implementation as well as to data acquisition, receiving timely and expert feedback on analysis and interpretation, and to the messages delivered on the online tool
Summary
Unsustainable groundwater withdrawals coupled with ongoing drought conditions in California threaten long-term access to groundwater for drinking and agriculture [1,2].California’s 2012–2016 drought resulted in a declared state of emergency in 2014 [3] and an estimated 2600 domestic wells were reported to have run dry [2,4], with well failures reported 1.5 times more frequently in disadvantaged communities (disadvantaged communities are defined in the Safe Drinking Water Act and Water Code Section 79.505.5 as communities with a median household income (MHI) below 80% of the statewide MHI) [5].California is again experiencing a statewide drought which is expected to worsen in coming years due to climate change; state agencies received more than 950 reports of dry domestic wells between 1 January and 12 November 2021 [6].In addition to supply concerns, contamination from past and present industrial and agricultural practices threatens groundwater quality in California. Unsustainable groundwater withdrawals coupled with ongoing drought conditions in California threaten long-term access to groundwater for drinking and agriculture [1,2]. California’s 2012–2016 drought resulted in a declared state of emergency in 2014 [3] and an estimated 2600 domestic wells were reported to have run dry [2,4], with well failures reported 1.5 times more frequently in disadvantaged communities (disadvantaged communities are defined in the Safe Drinking Water Act and Water Code Section 79.505.5 as communities with a median household income (MHI) below 80% of the statewide MHI) [5]. California is again experiencing a statewide drought which is expected to worsen in coming years due to climate change; state agencies received more than 950 reports of dry domestic wells between 1 January and 12 November 2021 [6].
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
