Since Oregon’s founding, water resource decisions have created wealth for some and disparities for others
— starting with broken treaties between the US government and sovereign tribal nations to exclusionary
practices that relegated Black communities to areas prone to flooding or without access to potable water.
There are workspaces and housing without proper access to water and sanitation that disproportionately
impact low-income, rural, and migrant households. The cost of much-needed infrastructure upgrades
is passed down through water bills, hitting customers struggling to cover basic expenses. And despite
interest and desire, community members can’t easily access decision-making processes that dictate how
we care for and sustain water for generations to come.
