Data-Driven Trust: what we can and cannot see in water data
Written by EmmaLi Tsai and Charles Wight
Imagine turning on your tap and wondering if the water is safe to drink. You're not alone—studies show erosion of trust in drinking water is a global concern. A recent study found that more than half of adults worldwide expect to be seriously harmed by their drinking water within the next two years. In the United States, millions more people avoid tap water now than before the Flint Water Crisis. In Texas, the focus state for our Community Water System Prioritization Tool, a survey of 650 households across rural border communities and urban areas like Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth revealed that 61% of respondents believe their water is unsafe to drink.
But is this growing distrust a perception problem or a critical public health, environmental, and governance challenge? How can data help restore trust or uncover systems in need of support before they reach a crisis point?
For community members and water policy wonks alike, determining whether a community water system is failing remains challenging. In November 2023, we assembled experts from technical assistance providers, nonprofits, and state agencies to investigate water system durability in Texas.
Our objective was to develop an online tool to prioritize water system investments. Through conversations with people involved in drinking water operations, policy and decisions, we identified three key questions:
What data exists about water in Texas?
What data can guide decision-making?
What data gaps exist that could inform priority actions?
As we compiled our findings, one crucial question emerged: "How can I know if my system is failing?"
Defining a failing water system, however, is a challenging endeavor that spans multiple dimensions: conflicting definitions across policy and program administration, inconsistent data availability, the multi-faceted nature of utility operations and service delivery, and the complex landscape of public perception and trust. But what do we see in the data?
Texas Health-Based Violations from 1978 to 2024
So how do I know if my community water system is failing?
It’s important to have transparent, readily accessible data, but it is critical to pair on-the-ground insights from practitioners with what we observe in the data. Sound data science is necessary for identifying patterns and guiding policy, but it is not sufficient on its own. To make meaningful progress, we also need:
Contextual Expertise: Perspectives from those who understand local systems and challenges.
Collaboration: Strong partnerships across technical experts, communities, and policymakers.
Commitment: Sustained investments to ensure durable solutions that go beyond reactive fixes.
This story map highlights how answering seemingly simple questions like “is my water system failing?” requires rigorous data analysis paired with practitioner and local community insights on water governance. While this analysis focuses on one dimension of water system performance - health-based violations - improving the durability of community water systems on multiple performance dimensions demands more than numbers—it requires empathy, nuance, and a commitment to serving communities where data meets lived experience.
