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- By Elyse Wild
That could change, thanks to an $82M investment in clean drinking water announced by the Department of Interior last week that will fund clean water infrastructure in 23 Tribal communities.
The announcement was made last week at the San Carlos Apache Tribe reservation in eastern Arizona by Bureau of Reclamation Deputy Commissioner David Palumbo and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Gary Gold.
The tribe receives $7.3 million to plan, design, and obtain approvals and permits for new raw water delivery and domestic drinking water treatment facilities for the San Carlos Regional Water System. The system serves the central portion of the reservation. Much of the tribe’s population resides in this area and does not have access to safe and reliable drinking water. The area is prone to frequent water curtailments or shutdowns due to poor water quality and system mechanical failures, which often occur in the hot summer months.
“Investing in water infrastructure projects is crucial to ensuring the health, safety, and economic prosperity of Indigenous communities,” Secretary Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) said in a statement. “This new program, funded by the President’s Investing in America agenda, will help us ensure all Tribal families and communities have access to the clean, safe drinking water they need in order to thrive.”
The project funding draws from the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes $550 million for domestic water supply projects in historically disadvantaged communities.
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