Imperative Insights: Centering the Negative Impacts of Poor Water Infrastructure

First it was Flint Michigan and now Jackson Mississippi is in the spotlight, but we've known for decades that clean water access has been handled like a privilege instead of a human right. The US water crisis remains a health equity issue. The health and well-being of community members in contaminated areas would drastically improve if drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater systems were kept up to date to consistently meet all Safe Drinking Water Act standards.
On the road to our 40th anniversary, we will have 40 "Imperative Insights" on issues that affect Black women and our communities most. This is our first in the series highlighting a variety of water infrastructure issues in the West Atlanta area. These interviews were conducted to raise awareness about the negative health and environmental impacts communities of color are forced to endure due to outdated water systems and lack of funding.
We would like to thank Board Member and Co-Founder of West Atlanta Water Alliance (WAWA), Na'Taki Osborne Jelks, Ph.D., MPH, Educational Director for WAWA, Darryl Haddock, and West Atlanta native and water infrastructure advocate, Juanita Wallace, for contributing their expertise and experiences.