On October 19, the US Water Alliance organized its 9th annual Imagine a Day Without Water campaign to raise awareness of issues of water security and to promote investment in our water systems. In recognition of this national call to action, the WRRC dug into some of the available water security data in Arizona.
For many throughout Arizona, imagining a day without water is not an academic exercise or thought experiment, it is a reality. For example, on the Navajo Nation, residents are 67 times more likely than other Americans to live without access to running water. This is the reality for many, not only on Tribal lands but also in rural and underserved communities throughout the state. These populations must haul water, sometimes from great distances (and at significant cost), for even basic needs such as drinking, cooking, and washing. Contemplating issues of water access and security, this analysis seeks to highlight the precarious characteristics of water access in many communities in Arizona that receive water delivered by public water systems.