Welcome to the Environmental Justice Coalition for Water EJCW Website

Thirsty for Justice: A People's Blueprint for California Water

What is Thirsty for Justice?

Thirsty for Justice: A People’s Blueprint for California Water is an overview of the environmental justice issues in California water.

The report includes:

an historical analysis of the origins of environmental discrimination in California water;
an overview of water governance in California - who controls and regulates water and what the barriers to implementing environmental justice are in water governance;
an overview of the water-related injustices communities struggle with on a daily basis
extensive policy recommendations on how to begin addressing California's water injustices;
case studies highlighting community fights against local water injustices

View the Executive Summary!

Highlighting Community Struggles

Throughout our report, we present case studies which call attention to the diverse ways in which communities of color and low-income communities are impacted by water management and policies. They exemplify some of the struggles, campaigns, and model projects communities are undertaking to address local water issues.

By presenting community voices in a contact of current and historical injustices, we hope to develop a common language with which impacts communities can articulate their concenrs, values and visions for California water.

To accomplish this goal, we have produced a supplement to the full-length report which contains several of the case studies. We also compiled community water demands from across the state - the voices of farm workers, urban residents, tribal members, and anglers of color declaring their needs and demanding results from California's decision-makers.

Read our regional press releases:

Los Angeles press release

Fresno press release

Richmond press release

Sacramento press release

Download the full Report

Download our Community Perspectives booklet

Descarge nuestro libreto de perspectivas comunitarias

English or Spanish

This companion piece includes:

case studies
community water demands

Esta libreto incluye:

casos y exigencias communitarios

Listen to media coverage of one of EJCW's four simultaneous press conferences held across the state on August 17th:

View the Coverage from the Bay Area's KTVU Channel 2

Escuche el Reporte de Radio Bilingue

Listen to KPFA's coverage of the Bay Area

Listen to Free Speech Radio's coverage of Northern California water issues

What are the goals of Thirsty for Justice?

Our report is intended for community advocates, decision-makers, and community members. We hope the report:

provides critical information to low-income communities and communities of color regarding the water-related problems they face;
establishes a pattern of environmental discrimination in California water policy and allows community members to better understand how local environmental and health problems relate to statewide environmental injustices
help state, regional and local policy-makers understand the severity of the injustices low-income communities and communities of color experience on a daily basis;
will initiate a more thorough discussion between affected communities, public agencies, and key water management institutions on how to address the chronic water problems low-income communities and communities of color face.

History of the report

Over 60 community groups and advocacy organizations participated in creating the report. It is developed from the Environmental Justice Coalition for Water’s work over the past 6 years with communities, water agencies, decision-makers, and advocates. It is one of the few comprehensive overviews of environmental justice issues in California water.

featured above: Davin Diaz from the Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice speaks at the LA Blueprint press release about perchlorate contamination in Riverside and Rialto drinking water sources.