When writing The Profits of Distrust, Samantha Zuhlke, David Switzer and I wanted to craft a book that had the theoretical depth and empirical rigor of an academic text, but also accessibility and practical value that would make it valuable to policymakers and water sector professionals. At one level it’s a book about drinking water; at deeper level it’s about basic services and institutional trust, and the relationship between citizens and the state. More than two years after publication, it seems we managed to strike a chord that resonates in ivory tower and water tower alike. We are grateful.

The comic’s main character is Kaliyah Ramirez, a conscientious, ambitious, newly-elected city councilwoman. In Drinking Water and Democracy we see how an event far away from Kaliyah’s city prompts public concern about drinking water, how markets and institutions respond to those concerns, and how she takes on the challenge.

In just eight comic pages, PoD: Drinking Water and Democracy conveys our book’s central themes:

• Tap water failure anywhere undermines trust everywhere
• Taste, smell, and appearance drive public perceptions of water quality
• Underinvestment in water infrastructure leads to systemic failures
• Low-income, racial/ethnic minority communities are especially distrustful of tap water
• Commercial drinking water providers profit from distrust of tap water and exploit low-income communities
•  Leaders can strengthen trust through excellence, openness, and equity

*We worked with the team at Sequential Potential Comics on this project. Thanks to the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s College of Letters & Science for funding the comic’s development.