Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID MI_2024_Carrera

Neglected aspects of water insecurity and health in Michigan post-industrial cities

Institute: Michigan
Year Established: 2024 Start Date: 2024-09-01 End Date: 2025-08-31
Total Federal Funds: $25,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $42,322

Principal Investigators: Dr. Jennifer Carrera

Project Summary: Despite widespread piped distribution of water to much of the U.S. population, households living in poverty are at high risk of water insecurity (defined as a lack of safe, reliable, sufficient, or affordable water for a thriving life).1 Water insecurity in the U.S. is typically treated as a highly localized problem, related to water shutoffs resulting from non-payment, concerns over quality and organoleptic perceptions of tap water, or mistrust of water providers.2,3 A growing body of research clearly indicates that low income and non-White U.S. households disproportionately experience water problems. Yet, the measurement of water insecurity itself is lacking. Furthermore, most water-health studies in high income countries focus solely on contaminants (bacterial, metal, chemical), neglecting other health concerns of immediate priority to affected communities (e.g., respiratory impairment, skin rash, anxiety). In a team spanning Sociology, Public Health, and Engineering, we propose to partner with Flint and Detroit community partners to address two knowledge gaps. First, we will work with partners to identify neglected health concerns related to water insecurity and construct a Michigan-specific module of the global high income country water insecurity survey. Second, after obtaining IRB approval and having developed the health-related module, we propose to deploy two survey teams in Flint and Detroit (Oct-Nov 2024) to capture information related to water insecurity and neglected health concerns for 240 residents in 6-8 neighborhoods. Data will be part of a national effort to understand water insecurity. Last, we plan to analyze data, share de-identified data with the HWISE network, and disseminate findings via the radio (Dr. Key's program) and three town hall events in early 2025.