As the American Southwest endures the worst drought in 1,200 years, A Question of Balance shares a story of a water supply divided along racial lines. Water is not taken for granted in the Navajo Nation—the largest Native reservation in the U.S. More than one in three Diné must haul water to their rural homes. The Diné, who are 67 times more likely than the average American to lack running water, use the least amount of water per person in the nation, yet effectively pay the most.

Eighty miles away, in Utah’s Washington County, the opposite is true in the predominantly affluent Mormon communities. Despite relying on the same water supply, residents pay some of the lowest water rates in the country and consume the most water per person.

As regions around the world experience dramatic climate changes, the question is not only how water will be managed, but also for whom. Without deliberate action, those who have long been disenfranchised will bear the greatest consequences.

Copyright photo: © Elliot Ross