Equity and Water Quality Patterns
Introduction and Data Sources
The below dashboard includes both general water quality measures as well as equity measures to highlight patterns within the county. The data included is sourced from CalEnviroScreen 4.0 which was created by OEHHA, as well as equity data from the Health Places Index. Click on read more for more information on these data sources.
CalEnviroScreen
The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) created the California Communities Environmental Health Screening Tool: CalEnviroScreen 4.0. CalEnviroScreen is a screening methodology that can be used to help identify California communities that are disproportionately burdened by multiple sources of pollution.
Similar to the HPI, CalEnviroScreen shows which areas suffer from greater pollution burdens. The data available for water quality is shown on the map. The darker color reflects a greater pollution burden, while a lighter color is a lesser burden.
Most drinking water in California meets health standards. However, drinking water sometimes becomes contaminated with chemicals or bacteria above the standards. Both natural and human sources can contaminate drinking water. Natural sources include rocks, soil, wildlife and fires. Human sources include factories, sewage, and runoff from farms.
One common contaminant, arsenic, occurs naturally in some rocks and soil and is often found in groundwater in California. It can cause cancer. Nitrate from fertilizer or manure can leach into groundwater and contaminate wells. Nitrate can cause a blood disorder in infants called blue baby syndrome.
More information can be found in the CalEnviroScreen 4.0 report - click here to view.
Healthy Places Index
Neighborhood-by-neighborhood, the Healthy Places Index (HPI) maps data on social conditions that drive health — like education, job opportunities, clean air and water, and other indicators that are positively associated with life expectancy at birth. Community leaders, policymakers, academics, and other stakeholders use the HPI to compare the health and well-being of communities, identify health inequities and quantify the factors that shape health.Water quality is one factor considered in the HPI. The map shown here reflects the HPI score specifically for Water in Santa Barbara County - where lighter colors mean a better score and darker colors a worse score.
More information on the HPI can be found on their page - click here to view.