The Water UCI Speaking of Water Series presents a talk by Nataly Escobedo Garcia, policy manager of water/climate programs with the Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability and a UC Irvine alumna ('24, PhD social ecology).
David Feldman, Water UCI's director, is the moderator.
Many Californians, particularly low-income communities and communities of color, face persistent and overlapping barriers to equitable water access. These challenges extend beyond simple availability and include limited political representation, unaffordable water rates, aging or inadequate infrastructure, and exclusion from decision-making processes that shape water governance.
Such inequities are often intensified in unincorporated areas and regions affected by chronic groundwater overdraft, where regulatory gaps and fragmented oversight can leave residents without reliable access to water. In regions like the San Joaquin Valley, these systemic issues are further compounded by agricultural demands, climate pressures, and long-standing patterns of environmental injustice. Residents in these communities are more likely to experience unsafe drinking water, including contamination from nitrates and other pollutants, while also facing higher relative costs for basic water services.
This free talk will explore the structural and policy-driven obstacles that limit access to clean, safe, and affordable water in the San Joaquin Valley.
