California has reached a major milestone in understanding the condition of its wastewater systems with the completion of Phase 1 of the statewide Wastewater Needs Assessment (WWNA). Led by UCLA’s Luskin Center for Innovation and partners, the effort established a first-ever comprehensive baseline evaluation of wastewater infrastructure performance, risks, and unmet needs—creating a foundation for more equitable sanitation policy and investment across the state. The WWNA was conceived to help answer a simple yet critical question: how well are California’s thousands of wastewater systems serving people and communities, especially disadvantaged and underserved areas?