OWOW DCI Handbook

Solving Water Challenges in Disadvantaged Communities: A Handbook to Understanding the Issues in California and Best Practices for Engagement

As a SAWPA DCI program partner, Water Education Foundation worked with DWR, SAWPA, and other DCI Funding Areas across the state to prepare this handbook to offer useful guidance on how agencies and other advocacy groups can effectively reach out and engage members of disadvantaged communities and Native American Tribes. This handbook provides examples and advice to ensure community voices and needs are heard and addressed, whether for access to clean drinking water, sanitation or flood protection. In this handbook, you will find:

  • Background on disadvantaged communities and Tribal strengths and needs from SAWPA and across the state.
  • An overview of efforts to better engage and collaborate with members of those communities to learn what they want and need in order to improve their water quality, supply, sanitation and other water resource needs.
  • Profiles on specific areas across the state — urban, rural and mountain among them — and advice distilled from the experiences of those involved in engagement efforts, which readers can apply to their specific circumstances.
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