Closing the water access gap in the US: An Action Plan

More than 2 million people in the U.S. still don't have running water or a working toilet at home. Read the first national study on how we can close the Water Gap.

About the Report

Today, more than 2 million people in the U.S. live without running water and basic indoor plumbing, and many more without sanitation.

On the Navajo Nation in the Southwest, families drive for hours to haul barrels of water to meet their basic needs. In West Virginia, they drink from polluted streams. In Alabama, parents warn their children not to play outside because their yards are flooded with sewage. Families living in Texas border towns worry because there is no running water to fight fires.

Access to clean, reliable running water and safe sanitation are essential for health, prosperity, and wellbeing, but they remain out of reach for some of the most vulnerable people in the United States. This report shines a light on America’s hidden water crisis and proposes a plan of action. It tells the story from inside six affected communities and identifies promising solutions that can help us extend water services to all people.

The Hotspots

In addition to being the most comprehensive analysis of water and sanitation access in the United States to date, the report also identifies promising, community-centered solutions that can help us extend water services to all people.

We conducted field research in six communities that still lack basic access to drinking water and sanitation in order to bring depth and texture to the data and help us chart a path forward.

By the Numbers