Water equity support for safe drinking water in California
Community Engagement Core. Advancing California's Human Right to Water through the Water Equity Science Shop (WESS)
This project helps California communities—especially low-income and Latinx neighborhoods and people on small or private water systems—get help to find and fix unsafe drinking water contaminated by chemicals like arsenic, nitrate, pesticides, and chromium.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Berkeley NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Berkeley, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11126849 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If my community works with the Water Equity Science Shop, UC Berkeley experts will help by testing local drinking water, interpreting results, and recommending practical fixes. They partner with community organizations and agencies to prioritize areas with small, unregulated systems and private wells, and provide technical assistance, monitoring support, and training. The core also helps communities navigate regulations and funding under California’s Human Right to Water law to implement long-term solutions. Work combines environmental engineering, public health, and community-engaged research to address exposure to nitrate, arsenic, pesticides, and CrVI.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are California residents in low-income or predominantly Latinx communities, people served by tiny water systems (<5 connections), and private well owners worried about chemical contamination.
Not a fit: People who live outside California or whose water is already provided by well-regulated large systems with safe, monitored supplies are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lower people's exposure to dangerous contaminants and improve access to safe, legally compliant drinking water through testing, treatment, and community-led solutions.
How similar studies have performed: Similar community science and 'science shop' models have a track record of helping communities detect contamination and obtain repairs or treatment, so this builds on established, successful approaches.
Where this research is happening
Berkeley, United States
- University of California Berkeley — Berkeley, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Morello-Frosch, Rachel Adele — University of California Berkeley
- Study coordinator: Morello-Frosch, Rachel Adele
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.