Justice and injustice in “Modular, Adaptive and Decentralized” (MAD) water systems

•Opt-out and shove-out dynamics are key to understanding water injustices in MAD water systems.•Identifying the broader structural forces that develop shove-out and opt-out dynamics can enable more equitable MAD interventions.•Justice-oriented MAD solutions must be attuned to the role of social inequalities and broader historical context to avoid the reproduction of disparities across communities.