Water Justice Coalition Partners
The Adelanto Water Justice Coalition grew out of concerns from Adelanto community members over the quality of water coming out of their taps and a lack of access to information about the safety of the water. Council member Stevevonna Evans connected with Pitzer’s Community Engagement Center, to collaborate on ways to address water-related issues raised by residents in the Fall of 2021. A small team began to work alongside professors from the Keck Science Department to integrate the testing of water from Adelanto into their college courses for Spring 2022 semester. Click here for the website and full report in English and Spanish.
Water at Adelanto High School. Water became clearer after letting it run, as demonstrated by the samples from left to right.
Ella Meyer, a senior in Environmental Analysis and Redford Conservancy Fellow, completed her thesis on this topic and continues to lead the Adelanto Water Justice Coalition as we begin work in earnest with the City of Adelanto to address their water issues, which range from hard water to PFAS.
This project represents a productive collaboration between Keck Science professors Jason Tor, Katie Purvis-Roberts, and Ethan Van Arnam and 57 Keck science students in Integrated Biology and Advanced Chemistry classes, who tested water samples. Olivia Rosenberg-Chavez from CASA Pitzer provided interpretation and translation of interviews, and Ada Cohen provided research and visual assistance through the Community Engagement Center, whose Managing Director Tricia Morgan was the first point of contact between Councilmember Evans and Pitzer College.
