April 8, 2020, Oakland, California — The Pacific Institute has joined the Principles for COVID Relief and Recovery: Guiding Principles to Secure Our Water Future. The COVID-19 pandemic is shining a spotlight on the weaknesses of social, economic, and health safety nets we’ve long taken for granted, including our water system. In the United States, a 2019 US Water Alliance and DigDeep report found that more than two million Americans currently lack running water and flush toilets, with race being the most important predictor of access. In California alone, the Pacific Institute found that in 2015, 211,000 Californians lacked access to hot and cold running water, more than half of whom were unhoused.
During this moment of crisis, the US Water Alliance has created four Principles that knit together enduring water issues critical in the U.S. at this time: who has access to water; who manages it; how it is paid for; and how all communities can be kept safe and healthy. The Principles recognize it is critical that the systems delivering this essential resource be strong enough to endure economic challenges in the short and long term, meeting the needs of all communities along the way. They call for the U.S. to commit to a future where everyone can count on reliable and safe water service, now and for future generations.
View and sign on to the principles here.
The Pacific Institute has been working on water and sanitation issues for decades. Learn more about our work to ensure safe and affordable water here.