Date of Award
Fall 12-12-2025
Degree Type
Honors Thesis
Major
Politics
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Political Science
First Advisor
Brian Weiner
Abstract
Why is it that almost one million California residents do not have access to clean, safe, affordable, and accessible drinking water? Out of those one million California residents, the majority reside within the Central Valley. Water should be seen and treated as a basic human right, yet it is highly politicized and treated like a commodity, which exacerbates the availability and affordability of drinking water. Through analyzing three key pieces of legislation passed after AB 685 (2012) coupled with examining the role of community activism in the Central Valley, highlighted from an interview with the Community Water Center, a non-profit organization located in the San Joaquin Valley within the Central Valley, the effectiveness of AB 685 (2012) is broken down to see if the human right to water can truly be a reality for California residents. The conclusion drawn is that AB 685 (2012) is a crucial law that has set forth the framework for the human right to water to continue to be expanded upon in California legislation. However, there is still a long way for California water policy to go to ensure every California resident has access to clean, safe, affordable, and accessible drinking water and it is not just an empty handed promise.
Recommended Citation
Correia, Claire Renee, "Water for Whom?" (2025). Undergraduate Honors Theses. 91.
https://repository.usfca.edu/honors/91
Included in
Environmental Health and Protection Commons, Environmental Law Commons, Human Rights Law Commons, Land Use Law Commons, Natural Resources Law Commons, Sustainability Commons, Water Law Commons, Water Resource Management Commons
