Delivering on the Safe Drinking Water Act’s (SDWA) promise will demand significant changes to the ways that America governs water. Achieving needed reforms while safeguarding democracy requires a clear understanding of good governance in this context. To that end, we introduce a normative framework for evaluating the institutions that own and operate drinking water systems from a democratic perspective. This Drinking Water Governance Framework (DWGF) adapts democratic theory to a drinking water policy and management setting. Rather than governing water based on existing political geography, the DWGF defines citizenship and communities based on natural watersheds. The DWGF involves institutions that foster responsibility and incentivize performance, thereby strengthening trust. Finally, the DWGF embraces Robert Dahl’s understanding of democracy, calling for governance institutions pursuant to Dahl’s Strong Principle of Equality. Our framework provides a standard by which to understand, design, and evaluate the institutions that govern drinking water.