The human right to water is often framed in terms of pipes, treatment plants, and funding. Far less attention is paid to governance and who gets to decide on the rules that shape water quality, price, and reliability. Now, writing in Nature Water, Kristin Babson Dobbin and co-authors shed light on how local democracy influences the right to water. … By analysing over 2,400 community water systems in California, Dobbin et al. show that ‘water democracy’ — the extent to which residents can vote for their water system’s governing board — is linked to measurable differences in performance. 

Other water access news:

• UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation: L.A. County water bills rising faster than inflation, UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation finds