Water Equity Overview
Water is the healthiest beverage available — and in Virginia, most communities have access to some of the safest drinking water in the nation. But safe, affordable tap water that people trust and actually drink is not yet a guarantee for everyone.
Across the Commonwealth, trust in tap water is declining. Distrust is higher among Hispanic and African American communities, as well as among those with lower incomes — communities that are already more likely to face barriers to health care. When people don’t trust their tap water, they often turn to bottled water, which is largely not fluoridated and comes at a much higher cost.
At the same time, Virginia’s water infrastructure is under increasing strain. Aging systems, PFAS contamination, and new pressures from large data centers and development threaten the long-term safety and reliability of our water supply.
Catalyst works to ensure that all Virginians — regardless of zip code, income, or background — have access to safe, affordable, fluoridated tap water they can trust.
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Virginia’s drinking water infrastructure faces growing challenges: aging pipes and systems in need of costly upgrades, emerging contaminants like PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), and pressure from rapid development including data centers that increase demand and affect water sources. These are not distant threats — they are present realities with direct implications for public health.
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Trust in tap water has been shaped for generations by historical inequities and publicized water crises — from Flint, Michigan, to communities across Virginia — that have left lasting doubt. The result is that many Virginians, particularly those in marginalized communities, have stopped drinking their tap water even when it is safe.
Rebuilding that trust requires more than better water quality. It requires honest, transparent communication; community engagement; and a genuine commitment to hearing the experiences of those most impacted.
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Community water fluoridation (CWF) is one of the most effective and equitable public health interventions available. Supported by more than 80 years of research, fluoridation can reduce tooth decay by as much as 25% in children and adults — regardless of income, education, or access to dental care. Communities with fluoridated water save an average of $32 per person annually in dental costs.
Virginia has long been a leader in this area: 96% of Virginians on public water systems have access to fluoridated water. But that is changing. Across the Commonwealth, more communities are being pressured to discontinue fluoridation — often without robust community input or access to accurate information. Several localities, including Luray and Timberville, have already ended fluoridation. The consequences are predictable: increased tooth decay, wider health disparities, and greater long-term costs.
Catalyst is responding — in partnership with the Virginia Dental Association, the Virginia Dental Hygienists’ Association, the Virginia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Virginia Department of Health — to ensure local leaders and communities have the timely, accurate information they need.
Solutions
We work to ensure every Virginian can trust and drink their tap water through cross-sector advocacy, policy change, and community engagement.
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Through the Rebuilding Trust in Drinking Water Initiative, Catalyst partners with communities across Virginia most impacted by water inequities to understand lived experiences with drinking water, co-develop responsive solutions, and support at least one community-led action in each locality.
By engaging community health workers as trusted water advocates, the program facilitates community-centered research, shares findings transparently, and advances efforts to rebuild trust in tap water while promoting equitable access to safe, fluoridated drinking water.
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Catalyst delivers education on community water fluoridation at the intersection of drinking water trust, equity, and public health to diverse audiences — including health care providers, community members, and utility operators — to strengthen understanding, build confidence in public water systems, and support informed decision-making at the local level.
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Catalyst coordinates the Water Fluoridation Rapid Response Team alongside the Virginia Department of Health and other state partners. When communities face challenges to their fluoridation programs, the Rapid Response Team provides timely, accurate, evidence-based support to help localities maintain — or begin — water fluoridation.
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