Imagine turning on your tap and not trusting the water that flows out. For millions of Americans, this is a daily reality. According to new research out of the University of Oregon, more than 30 million Americans live in counties where drinking water systems violate safety regulations. Another 2 million don’t even have access to running water or indoor plumbing. And while these issues affect a broad spectrum of Americans, research consistently highlights that communities with higher proportions of racial minorities and lower incomes were more likely to have unregulated chemicals in their drinking water and were more frequently located near pollution sources.
These bleak figures reflect real operational gaps that water professionals need to address, both technically and strategically, for vulnerable communities all over the U.S. This week, Water Treatment 411 dives into the water risk map and what it means for water professionals.
The Water Injustice Score
Using EPA data, CDC indicators, and public perception surveys, researchers created the first county-level water injustice index in the U.S. This index factors in both objective metrics, such as Safe Drinking Water Act violations, and subjective concerns, like resident perceptions of water quality, reliability, and access.
Counties in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Oklahoma top the list, with violations ranging from contaminant exceedances to failure to implement basic treatment protocols. In some cases, one underperforming system skewed an entire county’s profile. Wyoming County, WV, stands out with the highest number of violations from a single water system.
For operators and compliance managers, this research should prompt a closer look at your region’s systemic vulnerability, not just your own facility’s compliance record. The broader context matters when public trust and regulatory scrutiny are on the line.
Privatization Isn’t the Fix-All
One of the more nuanced findings in this study: Counties with higher levels of privatized water systems weren’t necessarily better off. While private ownership is often touted as a path to efficiency and innovation, the data suggests outcomes are highly context-dependent. In counties with high privatization but weak oversight or poor community engagement, perceptions of water insecurity were actually higher.
For utilities considering transitions in ownership or management, this is important. Success doesn’t lie in the structure alone but in governance, transparency, and public trust. Engineering excellence won’t substitute for community credibility.
Why This Study Matters
For years, regulatory violations have been viewed primarily through the lens of technical compliance. This study reframes the issue, placing equal weight on social vulnerability and public perception. Water treatment professionals now face a dual mandate to deliver technically compliant water and actively engage communities with transparency and trust-building.
Monitoring and reporting alone won’t cut it in high-risk counties. If your system serves low-income or racially marginalized populations, or if your service area overlaps with historic environmental justice issues, be prepared for increased federal and public attention.
What You Can Do Now
Understanding where water injustice is concentrated is only the first step. The next move is translating that knowledge into action. Whether you’re managing operations, setting policy, or overseeing compliance, these strategies can help align your utility’s work with the broader push for equity, trust, and long-term resilience. Here’s where to start:
- Audit beyond compliance. Don’t just check if your system meets EPA standards. Evaluate how service delivery intersects with local socioeconomic vulnerability. Are you adequately serving communities that historically fall through the cracks?
- Leverage local data to improve. Use geospatial tools and public feedback, like the datasets highlighted in this study, to inform capital improvements, rate structure revisions, and service expansions.
- Prioritize communication and transparency to build resilience. Publish test results regularly, explain technical decisions in plain language, and create feedback loops with the communities you serve.
- Push for policy alignment. Advocate for policies that marry funding with social impact, particularly in infrastructure grants. Infrastructure without equity is a short-term fix.
- Engage with community stakeholders early. Trust starts before problems emerge. Host open forums, conduct targeted outreach, and build partnerships with local organizations to stay in sync with community concerns and needs.
- Benchmark against similar systems. Compare performance with peer systems facing similar demographics or infrastructure challenges. Learning from better-performing systems can reveal scalable strategies worth adopting.
- Invest in operator training focused on equity. Expand professional development to include environmental justice and risk communication. Field staff often become the face of the utility, so make sure they’re equipped to navigate these sensitive dynamics.
- Prepare for increased EJ-driven funding and oversight. Align planning efforts with Justice40 and other federal initiatives emphasizing equity. Track and document your system’s impact on vulnerable populations to position yourself for competitive funding.
- Establish an internal water equity audit process. Review your own policies on shutoffs, emergency alerts, billing, and more for any unintended impacts on disadvantaged communities. Use this as a foundation for continuous improvement.
Water injustice stems from where system failures occur and who they impact most, often hitting the most vulnerable communities with the harshest consequences. The new water injustice score is a valuable tool for identifying those hot spots. For water treatment professionals, let it also serve as a reminder: Meeting regulations is only the starting point. The real objective is delivering water that all communities can rely on.
SOURCES: University of Oregon, Environmental Health Perspectives
