Who We Are

We are a coalition of national, state and local organizations, religious institutions, legal organizations, unions and others working to win the passage of national legislation and state legislation on comprehensive access to safe, affordable drinking water and sanitation – the human rights to water and sanitation.

Coalition Partners

National Water Crisis

Though access to safe, affordable drinking water and basic sanitation is a necessity for all people, and is acknowledged by the member states of the United Nations as a human right, there is an escalating water crisis in the United States affecting families, neighborhoods and individuals. Those affected most profoundly are low income, people of color, including indigenous First Nations people, children, women, persons with disabilities, and our elders. The suffering from lack of access impacts residents of large urban cities like Baltimore, Boston, Detroit, and Washington D.C. Suburban and rural communities across the country do not have access – Alabama to California and New Mexico to West Virginia. Contaminated drinking water are poisoning children with lead from Flint, Michigan to St. Joseph’s, Louisiana, to Los Angeles California. Homeless persons are without water and sanitation facilities in many states, with no provisions made for their access. Criminalization is occurring across the nation, with laws, which label customer necessity and self-reconnections as criminal, in some states as a felony.

The national water crisis has affected thousands of urban and rural homes where people are suffering the daily indignity of not having running water for their human needs, health, hydration, cooking, bathing, and sanitation, including sewage services for the most basic function of waste removal. Utilities are creating public health emergencies by delivering toxic water and mass water shut offs of thousands of homes.

Unjust and outdated law and operating policies result in consequences of discrimination, violations of due process and constitutional rights, foreclosures, children being taken into foster care, and criminal prosecutions of householders and homeless persons.  Presently there is no transparency regarding water shutoffs or national data collection of statistics regarding toxic and unsafe water. In the United States today – if you cannot pay for water, sanitation and storm water services – you are at risk of losing your basic rights, health, home, children, and liberty.

People from across the nation are joining together to pass legislation that will ensure every person has access to safe, sufficient, affordable water and sanitation for daily human needs. Learn more about our success and courage!

NCLAWater Statement of Principles

The National Coalition for Legislation on Affordable Water (NCLAWater) created to adopt Federal and state legislation establishing affordable water and sanitation services, ensuring that every person has access to safe, affordable water and sanitation. No person shall be denied access to basic water and sanitation services based on ability to pay, race, age, or gender. All state and local criminal law provisions that criminalize lack of access to safe affordable water and sanitation are a violation of constitutional due process and equal access guarantees.

Accessible water

Drinking water and sanitation services and facilities must be accessible at home, in schools, clinics, low income and elderly housing, and to homeless persons.

Safe water

Safe drinking water must be free from microbes, parasites, chemical substances, heavy metals and radiological hazards that constitute a threat to a person’s health. Sanitation facilities must ensure the health and physical security of the person.

Affordable water

Means that every person can pay for drinking water and sanitation without sacrificing another basic, essential human need – such as food, health care, housing, transportation, education, and emergency communications. No person shall be denied access to basic water and sanitation services based on ability to pay, age, disability, gender, or race.  Drinking water and sanitation must not comprise more than 2.5-4% of monthly income for low-income persons.