I recently had the privilege of mentoring a talented group of students—Kevin, Nathan, George, and Avery—on a rigorous research project that explored a vital environmental justice issue. Their final report, titled Correlation Project, investigated whether a community’s economic status correlates with the quality of its tap water.
The team conducted a comparative analysis of two specific districts: District A (zip code 95116), a lower-income area, and District B (zip code 95051), a more affluent community. To ensure scientific accuracy, they measured four key water quality metrics: absorbance (clarity), pH stability, nitrate levels, and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) .
The Findings
The results were statistically significant. The students found that District B, the wealthier area, consistently enjoyed better water quality across every metric.
Clarity & Purity: The wealthier district had lower absorbance and TDS readings, indicating clearer water with fewer dissolved contaminants.
Safety: While District B had low nitrate levels, the lower-income District A showed significantly elevated nitrate concentrations, approaching recommended safe limits.
Stability: The water in the affluent district maintained a stable, neutral pH, whereas the lower-income district showed more variability and imbalance .
Why It Matters The students correctly noted that while income doesn’t cause cleaner water, it correlates with better-funded infrastructure and resources. Their analysis concluded that economic disparities often coincide with environmental health disparities, highlighting a need for targeted infrastructure investment in lower-income areas.
I am incredibly proud of Kevin, Nathan, George, and Avery for their dedication to data-driven research and their commitment to shedding light on these critical inequities.
If you want more info on this project, Contact Me.
This quote above from Nelson Mandela seems apt lately. Our campaign did not turn out how I would have liked, but some great things happened, and I learned a lot.
Great Things Happened
One of the best (and also worst) things that happen in a campaign is you find out who your real friends and supporters are. I’m proud of the folks who have endorsed and supported me. For endorsers, I am most proud to have had the support of David Cohen, someone I greatly respect, as well as Patrick Ahrens, who I know is going to make a great Assemblyperson. I am honored beyond belief to have the support of the NorCal Carpenters Union, and the laborer’s union, LiUNA local 270. I am equally proud of my other endorsers, including Chappie Jones, Carlos Rosario, and more.
I also learned who my friends and supporters are. I will forever be comforted by this photo of my campaign kickoff, all the way back in July. When I look at this photo, I know I have won. I am so proud of these people and honored to have them at my event.
Campaign Kickoff, July 29th
Finally, I got to meet a lot of my neighbors, and it was a great experience. I come from the Catholic faith tradition, and Pope Francis talks about “encuentro”. This is encountering another person, but in a deep way. In Spanish, encuentro has a deeper meaning. Encuentro involves an openness to The Other in hopes of a true understanding of them.
I had many encuentros that I am grateful for. I am thinking of Susan in the TAPNA neighborhood, Leonard on Davis Street. Jean, who just got back from a devastated western North Carolina. John in Santa Clara who is dealing with health issues. And Katherine and Bear downtown, who had great questions about water, water policy, and politics. After talking with folks like these, I’m more hopeful about the future than have been in a long time. There are a lot of good, thoughtful people out there. We’re going to be ok.
I Learned A Lot
I did learn a lot in this process. As mentioned above, I learned who my friends and supporters are. I also learned how to crisply articulate my values, what my plans are, and how I will make my voters’ lives better.
I learned that endorsements matter. One key data point was that as we approached the election, there was a marked spike in traffic to the endorsement page. It looks like people do pay attention to this. Something to do better on next time.
I learned 1:1 in-person contact with voters is the most valuable interaction. It is the most joyous part of the job. I also learned that this is not scalable. You need people to help carry your message.
I learned that if you don’t have a database of contacts you can lean on, you are at a disadvantage. The voter file is not enough.
I learned I liked taking on problems that voters had. For instance, the folks in the TAPNA neighborhood have houses with basements that routinely flood, especially after wet years like the one we have last winter. I also enjoyed working with a voter, David, on getting a leak in an empty lot fixed. It look way to long to fix, but he got it done. I credit this approach to Forrest Williams, former city councilman, mentor, and raconteur of the highest order.
I also learned that folks have a lot of concerns about water. Mainly, they’d like lower water rates, and more efficient Water District. I hope the new board and my opponent pay attention to this.
I learned I can precinct walk in 103 degree heat. With the right clothing and enough water, you can do anything. Take that Climate Change!
I learned that digital marketing is not a panacea. I ran a multi-channel approach with search, display, video, and social ads. We focus on all kinds of segments including democrats, engineers, cybersecurity folks, and even Catholics. It was not enough.
I learned to get help from staff and volunteers early, and let go. They will do it differently than you will, but you need to let it go.
I learned that sometimes, the person who you are is not what the majority of the establishment or voters want. I learned that there were folks who would not vote for a 59-year-old, white guy, no matter how good his ideas were. And that I had to not take it personally and move on quickly to the next interaction.
Gratitude
First, I am thankful for Frances Herbert, who was my consultant during this process. I’m grateful for her steady hand, focus on data (especially from the Voter.Vote platform), and generally keeping me from doing dumb things. The fact that we did as well as we did is a testament to her work.
And a special thanks to my campaign coordinator/manager/sidekick Anthony Shing whose boundless energy challenged me and bouyed when I needed it.
Third, thank you to my family. To my passel of cousins/aunts/uncles/friends, you supported me early, and I am forever grateful. One of the best parts of running a campaign is that you see who is really “with” you. You were there for me, and I am grateful. I owe you.
To my daughters, thanks for keeping me human, and reminding me about balance. I remain so proud of you. I love you always and forever.
And finally, to Dara, who tolerated this mess, and sacrificed a lot. She raised me up during the tough times, and tried to bring me back to reality. Thank you for standing with me during this process. I could not have made it without you. Thank you for being a the supportive partner I needed.
In reality, running for office is something I always wanted to try. Thanks to all of you for helping make this happen.
It has happened again. Another water utility has been hacked. A number of sources (CNBC, CBS, CNN) have reported that the nation’s largest water utility, American Water has been hacked. American Water manages more than 500 water and wastewater systems in about 1,700 communities across at least 14 states, including California.
American Water has announced it is back online. Further, American Water says it has no indication that its water and wastewater facilities were impacted by this incident. It also says that water quality was not affected.
The attack was first reported in an 8K filing with the SEC on October 3rd. American Water appeared to recover by October 10th, according to a statement released by the company.
The attack appeared to cause network outages, rendering both American Water’s billing portal, MyWater, and its internal phone network inoperative, according to cyberSecurity publication Dark Reading.
This is by no means the first attack on a water system this year. As has been written about on this site, there have been attacks in Texas, Hawaii, Kansas, and Pennsylvania. Moreover, there have been new cybersecurity guidelines issued for water systems by DHS, and more security called for by the EPA.
Valley Water needs a Director who understands the nature of the cybersecurity threat. Bill Roth is that candidate who brings years of experience in both technology and cybersecurity, and can ask the right questions to ensure our water systems remain safe.
For more information, check out Fast Facts about Bill Roth.
PC Magazine is reporting that a Kansas City Water utility has been the victim of a ransomware attack. The water treatment facility in Arkansas City, Kansas, came under attack and had to resort to “manual operations.”
Ransomware is a type of malicious software that encrypts a victim’s data, rendering it inaccessible. Cyber-criminals, often from Russia and North Korea, then demand a ransom, typically in cryptocurrency, to restore access. These attacks target individuals, businesses, and government agencies, often crippling operations. Victims face tough decisions: pay the ransom with no guarantee of data recovery or risk permanent data loss. Ransomware has become an increasingly common.
Topics related to cyber-security have only shown up in the agenda and minutes of Santa Clara Valley Water Board of Directors twice in the last 5 years. More needs to be done. The water agency for Silicon Valley needs a board member who understands the threat, and can advocate for the resources to deal with it.
Bill Roth is that candidate. For more information check out more articles on cybersecurity.
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Friends: Here’s an update on the water lab, which I have written about here, and here. As you know, I have been working on raising money for clean water in Nicaragua for a while. I got an email from Brian, down in Nicaragua, that the water lab is 99% done! See the photos below. This is all part of the Water for Chinandega project, which aims to deliver clean water to an entire region in Nicaragua. This is great news for a great project. As always, if you have questions, please contact me.
I have written about it here, and here. I just heard from Brian in Chinandega that the lab is almost 99% done! I have attached some pictures that he took TODAY! One more step to being able to scale our efforts to provide Water for Chinandega!
The threat is real. Small Texas towns have had their water system hacked by a Russian Hacking group. You can find a cluster of news stories here.
In short, a series of cyberattacks targeted small towns in rural Texas, with one incident causing the water system to overflow. The attacks, attributed to a Russian hacktivist group called CyberArmyofRussia_Reborn, aimed at public utilities, raising concerns about the vulnerability of U.S. water systems. I have written about this previously related to hacks in Pennsylvania, and Hawaii.
In Hale Center and Muleshoe, attempts to breach the water systems were thwarted by manual intervention after the cities detected suspicious activity. Similar attacks in Lockney were also prevented. While the incidents didn’t pose immediate dangers, they underscored the need for improved cybersecurity measures in critical infrastructure. The FBI and Department of Homeland Security were notified but declined to comment on ongoing investigations. Both the FBI and DHS issued a warning about potential attacks in March.
Previous attacks on U.S. water facilities, including those attributed to Iranian state groups, prompted calls for stronger cybersecurity measures from government officials. The Environmental Protection Agency urged governors to assess cybersecurity risks and plan for potential cyberattacks on water supplies.
Valley Water needs to have a comprehensive cybersecurity policy. Moreover, it needs someone on the board of directors who understands the issues and the seriousness of the threat. Bill Roth is the candidate the board needs.
Great News! I have written about the water lab in Nicaragua before. I just got a message from Morgan at Amigos that 80% of the lab is funded, and construction has started. We still need a little bit more to finish it off, so if you can give, please do.
In addition, As many of you know, Amigos for Christ does great work in delivering clean water, health, sanitation, and business opportunities to the people of Northwestern Nicaragua. One of their most ambitious projects to date, is the Water For Chinandega which hopes to bring water to over 100,000 people in rural Northwestern Nicaragua, a place very near and dear to my heart.
Amigos’ Latest Need: A Water Lab
Morgan and Brian of Amigos have reached out to me to help raise awareness for the need for a new water lab for the Water for Chinandega. See their slide presentation here. It’s pretty convincing.
So now The Ask: If you can give to help out the lab, please donate here. It all helps. If you have questions, reach out to me.
