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Water Week: Access to clean drinking water

A sample of purified water flows after being processed at the Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS), the world's largest wastewater recycling plant, in the Orange County Water District in Fountain Valley, California.
A sample of purified water flows after being processed at the Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS), the world's largest wastewater recycling plant, in the Orange County Water District in Fountain Valley, California.

Human beings start their days with water. A warm shower. Brushing teeth. Washing faces. The more than two million Americans who live without running water, however, aren’t afforded this luxury. 

Native American households are 19 times more likely to lack indoor plumbing than white households. And Blacks and Latinos are twice as likely according to the U.S Water Alliance and DigDeep.

And more than 25 million Americans don’t drink water that meets federal health standards according to a study conducted by The Guardian.

Some places are trying to address the problem. Earlier this year, Newark, New Jersey, finished replacing all 23,000 of its lead pipes.

We hear from one of the people behind that push. But westart the conversationin Navajo Nation where one in three homes don’t have running water.

Copyright 2022 WAMU 88.5

Haili Blassingame