Greta Markey

Department: Civil and Environmental Engineering

Faculty Mentor: Sarah Fletcher, Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Improving water affordability

Water bills are rising across the country, but not all households feel that burden equally — families who use very little water can end up subsidizing the costs driven by high-use households. Greta is developing a practical toolkit (the Framework for Accountability in Infrastructure Rates, or FAIR) in collaboration with water utilities to help them understand whether their rate structures are distributing costs fairly and what financial interventions could make water more affordable for the households that need it most. This work will provide concrete, actionable guidance for making water infrastructure financing more equitable across California.