- $82 million allocated to 23 tribal water projects.
- Funds aimed at bringing clean drinking water to tribal communities.
- Projects span the Colorado River Basin states of Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, and Wyoming.
- Part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda.
November 1, 2024 — The Department of the Interior announced yesterday a nearly $82 million investment to bring clean, safe drinking water to tribal communities across the western United States. The funding, stemming from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, will support 23 projects through a new program established under the Inflation Reduction Act—the largest climate investment in U.S. history.
Significant Investment in Tribal Water Infrastructure.
Bureau of Reclamation Deputy Commissioner David Palumbo and Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Gary Gold made the announcement during a visit to the San Carlos Apache Tribe
in eastern Arizona. The tribe is receiving $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. This system serves the central portion of the reservation, where much of the population resides without access to safe and reliable drinking water.
“Investing in water infrastructure projects is crucial to ensuring the health, safety, and economic prosperity of Indigenous communities,” said Secretary Deb Haaland. “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.”
Project Highlights by Colorado River Basin State.
Tribal drinking water projects were announced for six of the seven Colorado River Basin states:
Arizona.
- San Carlos Apache Tribe: Received $7,302,461 for the Homeland Drinking Water Planning and Design Project. Funds will be used to plan and design new water delivery and treatment facilities for the San Carlos Regional Water System, addressing frequent water service curtailments due to poor quality and mechanical failures.
California.
- Barona Band of Mission Indians: Awarded $21,934,652 to construct a 41,900-foot domestic water pipeline servicing approximately 300 tribal households and various community facilities, providing reliable, clean water supplies for the first time since 1932.
- La Jolla Band of Luiseño Indians: Granted $319,152 for planning and design of well development for the Eastern Water System, improving access to clean drinking water for 134 homes and community buildings.
- Yurok Tribe of the Yurok Reservation: Received $3,968,300 to plan and design the interconnection of existing domestic water delivery infrastructure for residential users on the Upriver portion of the reservation.
- Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation: Awarded $7,887,853 to plan and design a tribal water system providing a stable source of domestic drinking water for the community near Smith River.
Colorado.
- Ute Mountain Ute Tribe: Received $7,538,802 for the Cortez to Towaoc Water Transmission Line Project. The funds will focus on planning and design for the final 18 miles of a larger 22-mile water transmission project.
New Mexico.
- Pueblo of Isleta: Granted $1,109,539 to plan and design improvements to the Eastside and Westside water utility distribution systems, enhancing reliability and water quality.
- Santo Domingo Pueblo: Awarded $916,262 for planning and design of a domestic drinking water supply project, including locating a new well source and connecting it to the current system.
- Pueblo of Pojoaque: Received $595,000 to plan and design improvements to the tribe’s domestic water delivery system, aiming to create reliable access to clean drinking water for both the Main and North Villages.
- Mescalero Apache Tribe: Granted $3,168,436 for the Fence Canyon Distribution System, replacing existing water lines and providing service connections to 44 homes to resolve water pressure issues.
Nevada.
- Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation: Received $1,541,085 for the China Town Waterline Extension Project, designing an extension of waterlines to serve 88 households currently relying on shallow, privately-owned wells.
- Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe: Awarded $30,000 to plan, design, and acquire permits for installing valves to segment Sutcliffe’s water supply system, allowing for more effective maintenance without disrupting the entire community’s water supply.
- Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe: Granted $3,793,340 for enhancing community water infrastructure with numerous upgrades to increase system reliability and address capacity issues.
Wyoming.
- Northern Arapaho Tribe: Received $5,313,053 to plan, design, and acquire permits for a new water treatment plant to replace the existing one serving approximately 410 homes and community facilities on the Wind River Indian Reservation.
- Northern Arapaho Tribe: Also awarded $3,854,357 for planning and design of water distribution system improvements in Ethete and Arapahoe, including valve repairs, replacements, and extensions to improve reliability.
Advancing Environmental Justice.
This funding advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, aiming to ensure that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
Commitment to Tribal Communities.
“Through new resources provided through President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda, we are able to support our Tribal partners who have demonstrated a need and plan for providing or improving their domestic water systems,” said Deputy Commissioner David Palumbo. “This new program will help our Tribal partners ensure a basic necessity like clean, reliable drinking water is available in their communities.”
The investment underscores the federal government’s commitment to improving water infrastructure in tribal communities, ensuring access to clean and reliable drinking water across the western United States.
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Image:
Sunset and spring wildflowers — on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation
, near Peridot, in Gila County, Arizona, March 2010, by John Fowler from Placitas, New Mexico. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
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