The case for state-level drinking water affordability programs: Conceptual and empirical evidence from California

Pierce, Gregory; Chow, Nicholas; DeShazo, J.R.

doi:10.1016/j.jup.2020.101006

Cited by 37 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Metrics that effectively evaluate and monitor water affordability are a critical area of research. In addition to improved techniques to measure affordability across space (Teodoro, 2018), natural experiments can use the existing range of water affordability programs to examine variables such as eligibility requirements, utility size, geographic location, and ownership (Mirosa, 2015;Pierce, Chow, & DeShazo, 2020). Metrics should also assess tradeoffs, opportunity costs, and non-economic dimensions of water affordability.…”

Section: Future Directions For Research and Actionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exposing the myths of household water insecurity in the global north: A critical review

et al. 2020

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Safe and secure water is a cornerstone of modern life in the global North. This article critically examines a set of prevalent myths about household water in high-income countries, with a focus on Canada and the United States. Taking a relational approach, we argue that household water insecurity is a product of institutionalized structures and power, manifests unevenly through space and time, and is reproduced in places we tend to assume are the most water-secure in the world. We first briefly introduce "modern water" and the modern infrastructural ideal, a highly influential set of ideas that have shaped household water provision and infrastructure development over the past two centuries. Against this backdrop, we consolidate evidence to disrupt a set of narratives about water in high-income countries: the notion that water access is universal, clean, affordable, trustworthy, and uniformly or equitably governed. We identify five thematic areas of future research to delineate an agenda for advancing scholarship and actionincluding challenges of legal and regulatory regimes, the housing-water nexus, water affordability, and water quality and contamination. Data gaps underpin the experiences of household water insecurity. Taken together, our review of water security for households in high-income countries provides a conceptual map to direct critical research in this area for the coming years.

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Section: Future Directions For Research and Actionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exposing the myths of household water insecurity in the global north: A critical review

et al. 2020

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“…Forty-five states implement economic regulation of privately owned water utilities ( Beecher, 2018 ); to varying degrees, some states also regulate nonprivate water utilities ( Beecher, 2018 , Environmental Finance Center, 2017 ). States may be the best level for providing income assistance ( Pierce et al, 2020 ), but in some states, policies make it difficult for local governments to do so without legal challenge ( Environmental Finance Center, 2017 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Which states and cities protect residents from water shutoffs in the COVID-19 pandemic?

2020

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Many U.S. states and cities have imposed water disconnection moratoriums during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using logistic and Cox Proportional-Hazards models, we assess factors that differentiate which governments imposed moratoriums. States, which have economic regulation of private water utilities, were more likely to impose moratoriums, and those with higher COVID-19 case rates imposed moratoriums earlier. States with unified Republican Control and cities with more 2016 Trump voters were less likely to impose moratoriums on water disconnection. Cities in states without statewide moratoriums, were more likely to impose moratoriums if they had higher income, more minority residents, and more income inequality.

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“…Outside of pricing, other policy reforms are still needed, including federal and state grants for assistance to households and communities considering their respective financial conditions and capabilities (Raucher et al 2019;Pierce 2020;Martins 2020). 30 Customer assistance may still be needed to protect low-income households with large families or in gentrified areas.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Policy Note: A Universal Equity–Efficiency Model for Pricing Water

Beecher

2020

Water Econs. Policy

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Drawing on theoretical, practical, and normative rationales, the analysis presented here calls for revisiting the prevailing water service paradigm, and the values and frames it reflects. As is increasingly apparent, current pricing policies may not be sufficiently responsive, pragmatic, or durable, particularly in reconciling competing objectives often cast as the equity–efficiency conundrum. Water is a social good that confers both private and public benefits. The proposed universal (all-inclusive) pricing model envisions five concurrent elements: recognize public functionality in cost allocation (scope economies), calibrate a minimum bill to property assessment (capacity value), provide an essential-use allowance for all households (public health), design cost-based rates for variable water usage (resource management), and prohibit disconnection and deploy service limiters instead (water security). The model advances meaningful structural progress toward social equity while comporting with generally accepted principles to fairly allocate costs and send economic price signals where they make sense.

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The case for state-level drinking water affordability programs: Conceptual and empirical evidence from California

Cited by 37 publications

References 19 publications

Exposing the myths of household water insecurity in the global north: A critical review

Exposing the myths of household water insecurity in the global north: A critical review

Which states and cities protect residents from water shutoffs in the COVID-19 pandemic?

Policy Note: A Universal Equity–Efficiency Model for Pricing Water

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