Water and wastewater infrastructure inequity in unincorporated communities

Abstract

Uneven access to water and wastewater infrastructure is shaped by local governance. A substantial number of U.S. households lack adequate access and the U.S. is one of the few countries with large populations living outside of city bounds, in unincorporated areas. Few studies address how infrastructure services and local governance are intertwined at a regional scale. We examine the connection between incorporation status and access to centralized infrastructure, using negative binomial regression. A novel dataset informs this analysis, comprised of 31,383 Census block groups located in nine states representing over 25% of the national population. We find evidence that inequities in access are associated with unincorporated status and poverty rates. Sewer coverage rates are significantly lower for unincorporated communities in close proximity to municipal boundaries. Infrastructure equity could be improved by targeting high-poverty unincorporated communities, addressing challenges with noncontiguous service areas, and strengthening regional water planning and participatory governance.