Safe, Secure, and Affordable? The State of Household Water Insecurity in California

Abstract

California's efforts to advance the Human Right to Water are constrained by limited household-level data on water insecurity. Using the 2021 CalSpeaks statewide probability survey (n = 628) this study offers the first representative look at water insecurity across California households. Results reveal significant water-related struggles: approximately 23% of respondents worried about having enough water to meet their household needs, 15% worried about perceived health impacts from water quality, and 7% struggled with affordability. Negative binomial regression models show that water insecurity is not randomly distributed: households with non-white residents, households which rely on private or small water companies for water service or receive public assistance experience disproportionately higher water insecurity. Sensitivity analyses indicate that some predictors—such as household size and employment—are more strongly associated with frequent water insecurity experiences, underscoring the need for multidimensional monitoring. These findings highlight that system-level compliance metrics substantially underestimate household-level challenges and reinforce the need for policies that address affordability, quality, accessibility, worry, and trust to achieve California's Human Right to Water.