Southern Arizonans most vulnerable to water insecurity do not trust tap water but often struggle – financially, physically and otherwise – to get safe water into their homes.

These are some of the findings gathered from conversations with community members who face water insecurity and shared in a report out this month from the Center for Regional Food Studies. The center, based in the University of Arizona College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, conducted the community forums and produced the report in partnership with the Arizona Water for All Network and many community organizations.

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The network, based at Arizona State University, is a collaboration led by researchers at all three state universities to ensure water access for all Arizonans. Megan A. Carney, director of the Center for Regional Food Studies, is the U of A lead for the network.

The community conversations that informed the report were held over the course of about a year beginning in early 2025, Carney said. The forums, held across Pima, Cochise and Santa Cruz counties, were conducted with partner organizations such as family resource centers and health clinics.

"There are already many communities that are extremely vulnerable and experiencing water insecurity as a daily reality," said Carney, a professor in the School of Anthropology. While research partnerships can help build toward solutions, she said, some research methods risk being exploitative and burdensome to the communities in which they are conducted.

"It's all the more important to approach collaboration with heightened sensitivity, cultural humility and awareness of structural dynamics," she added.

The forums, also known as pláticas, were conducted in both English and Spanish. Each forum included about eight to 12 community participants from low-income communities who are most vulnerable to water insecurity. The project reached more than 100 participants total. 

Findings and recommendations

The report summarizes the forums into six key findings:

• Trust in tap water is low. Some participants shared that they had drank lead-contaminated tap water, or water that smelled or tasted poorly. They were concerned about health risks from drinking or cooking with it.
• Buying safe water is a physical or financial burden for many. Many households spent between $20 and $80 a month on bottled water on top of what they already paid for their water utility bill.
• Water costs are rising. Community members reported sharp increases in their water bills, some of which were as high as $100 per month. Plumbing issues that led to water bill spikes were most burdensome to renters, who did not have the authority or means to more quickly fix plumbing problems.
• Many are worried about the big-picture future of water in Arizona. Some participants said the burdens of conservation were placed on individuals instead of large commercial users such as data centers and industrial farms.
• Many participants already conserve water and would like to do more. Participants said they wished for more guidance on ways to limit water use or to reuse it.
• Infrastructure issues are difficult to sort out. Community members said that when pipes break or other failures occur – which are common – they don't know who to reach out to for help, or whether help is even available.

"People really felt like they were being kept in the dark or forgotten by those that are stewarding the water supply," Carney said.

The report then offers four recommendations for policymakers, water providers and other stakeholders working toward water security:

• Build trust through transparency. The report says water utilities should be clear and forthcoming about water sources and treatment methods with tours of treatment plants and other facilities, plain-language water quality reports, and outreach events geared toward low-income and other vulnerable communities.
• Support efforts in homes to conserve water. Researchers recommend making filters of various kinds more accessible by providing free or subsidized filtering systems, as well as more information about the types of filters available on the market.
• Expand and promote assistance programs. Many participants said they were unaware of existing programs that help address water insecurity, such as Tucson Water's income-based discount and one-time bill waivers. The report recommends focused outreach to low-income communities about these resources.
• Keep communities at the table. Participants said they wanted to be part of the discussion on Arizona's water future, and the report recommends ensuring water policymaking processes involve opportunities for residents to express their concerns directly to decisionmakers.

"We need much broader, coordinated cross-sector, multi-agency responses that don't isolate people or make them feel abandoned," Carney added. "People are eager to be heard and to have their experiences made known."