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- By Native News Online Staff
U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), along with U.S. Representatives Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) and Gwen Moore (D-Wis.), have introduced the Tribal Access to Clean Water Act, a bill aimed at significantly improving access to clean water in Tribal communities through major investments in water infrastructure.
The legislation would increase funding for water projects through the Indian Health Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Bureau of Reclamation. These investments would support critical infrastructure development and help ensure that Native American households without reliable access to clean water are finally connected to safe, sustainable water sources.
“Too many Tribal communities in Colorado and across the country cannot access clean, safe water,” said Bennet. “This legislation builds on our efforts to improve access for Tribes in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. It fulfills the federal government’s promise to provide these communities with the clean water they deserve.”
“Nearly half of Native American households lack access to clean and reliable water supplies. That is completely unacceptable,” said Heinrich. “By addressing a significant backlog of infrastructure projects and removing barriers to federal programs that provide technical and financial assistance to Tribes, this legislation is an important step toward delivering clean drinking water to all families in Indian Country.”
“Clean drinking water is a basic necessity. Yet, so many of our Tribal communities have been left without the infrastructure. It’s unacceptable,” said Hickenlooper. “Let’s cut red tape and invest in modern resources to finally deliver safe, accessible water to every Tribe.”
“Access to clean water is a basic human right—and yet for far too long, Native American tribes have lacked access to safe and affordable water and reliable wastewater infrastructure. Our tribal communities deserve better,” said Neguse. “That’s why I’m honored to join Senator Bennet in introducing the Tribal Access to Clean Water Act, a bill that takes meaningful steps to close the gap between Native American households and access to clean and reliable water supplies.”
“An estimated 48 percent of homes on tribal lands lack access to clean drinking water or sanitation services. This is a serious public health issue that demands a federal response. I join my colleagues in supporting this important legislation, which will help tribes improve longstanding water infrastructure challenges and uphold trust and treaty obligations under the Constitution,” said Moore.
Lack of access to clean drinking water is a significant barrier for many Native American communities. According to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Native American households are 19 times more likely than white households to lack indoor plumbing. A 2021 report commissioned by the Colorado River Water and Tribes Initiative documents the different barriers to accessing safe and reliable drinking water among tribes in the Colorado River Basin, along with some of the deficiencies in the federal programs designed to address this problem, and offers recommendations for improvement. Lack of access to drinking water negatively impacts health, education, economic development, and other aspects of daily life.
The bill will:
- Authorize the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Rural Development, to make grants and loans for technical and financial assistance, as well as for construction;
- Increase funding authorizations for USDA’s Rural Development Community Facilities Grant and Loan Program by $100 million per year for five years, provide $30 million per year specifically for technical assistance, and ensure that Native communities are treated equitably and appropriately when considered for grants and loans;
- Increase funding authorizations for existing programs of the Indian Health Service for water and sanitation facilities construction over a five year period, including for community facilities ($2.5 billion), technical assistance ($150 million), and operation and maintenance assistance ($500 million); and
- Authorize $90 million over five years for the Bureau of Reclamation’s existing Native American Affairs Technical Assistance Program.
“It is far past time to ensure that Native people have the same level of basic water service most Americans take for granted,” said Manuel Heart, Chairman of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe. “This bill’s recognition of the need for technical support and operation and maintenance assistance for Tribal water supply facilities is not only essential to realizing the benefit of investment in water infrastructure, but also a critical step toward increasing Tribal independence and governance capabilities.”
“For far too long, many Indigenous Americans – American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians – have gone without access to a clean and safe drinking water supply,” said John Echohawk, executive director and Co-Founder of the Native American Rights Fund and member of the Pawnee Nation. “These are not isolated or regional deficiencies, but rather a nationwide disparity in access to a basic ingredient of life. This bill will help to address gaps in current support for Tribal drinking water access and help to fulfill the Federal government’s treaty and trust responsibility to Native American Tribes.”
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