When it comes to voters, access to clean, reliable, and affordable water is very popular. And voters know the benefits that reliable water systems provide: 96% recognize the importance of investing in water systems for good public health, 95% for community well-being, and 85% for their fundamental role in sustaining the economy.
In short, people want clean water and they want everyone else to have it, too.
With support for investing in these systems so strong, why does the nation face a growing water infrastructure investment gap, now pegged at nearly $100 billion? People at every level — families knowing what comes out of their taps, community leaders knowing how and why to advocate for water infrastructure, community members growing from voters to advocates to leaders — should have a voice in protecting and preserving our most vital resource.
Even though people might take our most vital shared resource for granted, critical decisions about water are often made close to home — at a city council, a stormwater district, or a local utility. There are over 145,000 active public water systems in the United States, with most serving fewer than 10,000 people. The funding for these systems is typically local, too: Over 80% of funding for water systems in California, for example, is paid by local ratepayers. This mirrors a national trend.
By broadening who makes water decisions, communities can make their voices heard, make water governance more accountable, and ultimately improve their water systems. But it serves another purpose as well: These leaders can go on to influence decisions from county to statehouse and even beyond.
It’s not just talk. Many of the Water Foundation’s grantees are built around the kind of community power that builds leaders and focuses on water first. Groups like We the People of Detroit, Community Water Center, and Coalition for Environment, Equity, and Resilience are turning water practices grounded in the experiences of their neighbors into state and local policies. Some of their goals are as high level as our human right to water, while others are focused on how we get there, like training their members about the function of water boards and how to scale or implement residents’ ideas so they are ready for the ballot or statehouse.
As a shared concern that mobilizes voters across political and geographic lines, clean water serves as a powerful entry point to civic engagement. When we invest in community organizing and advocacy groups, the impact may start with water, but it doesn’t end there. These investments build stronger, more engaged communities that drive lasting change led by the people most directly affected. Once people engage on water as a collective priority, they stay engaged — demanding accountability and deepening participation at every level so we build a democracy rooted in sharing responsibility for what is vital to our lives, our water, and our future.