Exposing the myths of household water insecurity in the global north: A critical review

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dc.contributor.authorMeehan, Katieen
dc.contributor.authorJepson, Wendyen
dc.contributor.authorHarris, Leila M.en
dc.contributor.authorWutich, Amberen
dc.contributor.authorBeresford, Melissaen
dc.contributor.authorFencl, Amandaen
dc.contributor.authorLondon, Jonathanen
dc.contributor.authorPierce, Gregoryen
dc.contributor.authorRadonic, Luceroen
dc.contributor.authorWells, Christianen
dc.contributor.authorWilson, Nicole J.en
dc.contributor.authorAdams, Ellis Adjeien
dc.contributor.authorArsenault, Rachelen
dc.contributor.authorBrewis, Alexandraen
dc.contributor.authorHarrington, Victoriaen
dc.contributor.authorLambrinidou, Yannaen
dc.contributor.authorMcGregor, Deborahen
dc.contributor.authorPatrick, Roberten
dc.contributor.authorPauli, Benjaminen
dc.contributor.authorPearson, Amber L.en
dc.contributor.authorShah, Sameeren
dc.contributor.authorSplichalova, Dacotahen
dc.contributor.authorWorkman, Cassandraen
dc.contributor.authorYoung, Seraen
dc.contributor.departmentScience, Technology, and Societyen
dc.date.accessioned2021-02-15T20:03:29Zen
dc.date.available2021-02-15T20:03:29Zen
dc.date.issued2020-11en
dc.description.abstractSafe and secure water is a cornerstone of modern life in the global North. This article critically examines a set of prevalent myths about household water in high-income countries, with a focus on Canada and the United States. Taking a relational approach, we argue that household water insecurity is a product of institutionalized structures and power, manifests unevenly through space and time, and is reproduced in places we tend to assume are the most water-secure in the world. We first briefly introduce "modern water" and the modern infrastructural ideal, a highly influential set of ideas that have shaped household water provision and infrastructure development over the past two centuries. Against this backdrop, we consolidate evidence to disrupt a set of narratives about water in high-income countries: the notion that water access is universal, clean, affordable, trustworthy, and uniformly or equitably governed. We identify five thematic areas of future research to delineate an agenda for advancing scholarship and action-including challenges of legal and regulatory regimes, the housing-water nexus, water affordability, and water quality and contamination. Data gaps underpin the experiences of household water insecurity. Taken together, our review of water security for households in high-income countries provides a conceptual map to direct critical research in this area for the coming years. This article is categorized under: Human Water > Human Wateren
dc.description.notesPeter Wall Institute for Advanced Study, University of British Columbia; PLUS Alliance; Texas A&M University; U.S. National Science Foundation, Grant/Award Number: BCS-17759972en
dc.description.sponsorshipPeter Wall Institute for Advanced Study, University of British Columbia; PLUS Alliance; Texas AM University; U.S. National Science FoundationNational Science Foundation (NSF) [BCS-17759972]en
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1002/wat2.1486en
dc.identifier.issn2049-1948en
dc.identifier.issue6en
dc.identifier.othere1486en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/102376en
dc.identifier.volume7en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.rightsCreative Commons Attribution 4.0 Internationalen
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/en
dc.subjectcolonialismen
dc.subjecthousehold water insecurityen
dc.subjectraceen
dc.subjectsocial inequalityen
dc.subjectwater infrastructureen
dc.titleExposing the myths of household water insecurity in the global north: A critical reviewen
dc.title.serialWiley Interdisciplinary Reviews-Wateren
dc.typeArticle - Refereeden
dc.type.dcmitypeTexten
dc.type.dcmitypeStillImageen

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Destination Area: Global Systems Science (GSS)