Expanding Conceptions of Water Security and Health: A Case Study in Anacostia, D.C.

Abstract

Water security is traditionally conceptualized as an issue of access to a regular supply of drinking water of good quality, only affecting health when communities lack an improved water source or proper sanitation facilities. However, research has shown that even communities with reliable drinking water supplies can be harmed by social, economic, and psychological stress concerning the quality and cost of their drinking water. A lack of access to non-drinking water sources also causes stress and harms health. With a case study in communities living around the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C., this thesis shows how an urban context in a wealthy nation exemplifies the issues of water security affecting physical, psychological, and community health. Drawing from forty-one interviews conducted with residents and community leaders working and living around the Anacostia River, this study found that water security reveals a complex situation beyond the physical and reflects water worry, family history, and community life experiences. Although the Anacostia River is not a source of drinking water and residents have a regular drinking water supply, residents associated a “dirty” river with their drinking water and perceived their drinking water to be contaminated. Both residents and community leaders reported not having access to a clean Anacostia River, the stigma around the river, and feeling of being ignored by relevant authorities adversely affected community health. Perceptions of a filthy river and unclean drinking water negatively affected how residents judged their health. Gender dynamics also colored responses. This case study is important for understanding water security and its implications for community health and environmental justice in D.C. Furthermore, the results suggest that global definitions of water security and subsequent health responses should be broadened to look beyond the physical.