Goal 2 – Clean and Safe Water

Drinking Water and Sanitation Goal - Provide safe drinking water and adequate sanitation to every tribal home. This is a fundamental environmental and public health issue that requires ongoing attention. Tribal communities continue to lag behind the rest of the nation in this area, with 7% of tribal homes continuing to lack access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation, compared with non- tribal.5% national average. Achievement of this goal requires that both physical infrastructure and operation and maintenance needs be addressed.

Drinking Water Tribal Set-Aside Success Story Fort Independence Water System Improvement Project, serving 45 homes, includes chlorination equipment, pump controls, meters, and a new water storage tank for approximately $350,000 EPA and $100,000 Tribal. The picture is of Norm Wilder, the water system operator, in front of the new tank. 4, 298 more Tribal homes 4, 298 more Tribal homes have safe drinking water Fort Independence Indian Community of Paiute Indians Water System Improvement Project Tribal Water Infrastructure

Drinking Water Monitoring Equipment La Jolla Band of Luiseno Indians

New Lagoon Navajo Nation 4,126 more Tribal Homes have better sanitation

Drinking Water and Sanitation Infrastructure much progress made with funding under SDWA and CWA state revolving fund tribal set asides to supplement I.H.S. funding

Drinking Water and Sanitation – Continuing Needs Continuing Needs: –providing funding for physical infrastructure where none exists (e.g. 30% homes on Navajo Nation that lack piped water and sanitation) –providing funding for system upgrades for systems in disrepair; and to address new regulations (e.g. arsenic rule) –providing for community growth (anticipated by 75% of tribes in Regional study) –assisting the many small drinking water systems and individual wells (non-public water systems) that serve tribal communities

Drinking Water and Sanitation – Continuing Needs, continued I.H.S. estimates national tribal physical infrastructure need at $1.86 billion Recognizing overall national budget limitations, and that all needs can’t be addressed at once, request that EPA continue to fund SDWA and CWA state revolving fund TSAs at least at current levels, and provide flexibility in use of spending (e.g. to address small system needs) to ensure greatest needs are met.

Drinking Water & Sanitation – Operation & Maintenance essential to meet international (Johannesburg), national (EPA strategic plan) and tribal goals to provide safe drinking water and basic sanitation to tribal homes (e.g., Regional study found direct correlation between O&M capacity and delivery of safe drinking water) and to maintain federal investment in tribal physical infrastructure Regional study found many tribal systems (over half the participating tribes) are not self- sustaining and require assistance to cover operation & maintenance costs

Drinking Water & Sanitation – Operation & Maintenance Needs NO FEDERAL FUNDING IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE TO SUPPORT ONGOING TRIBAL OPERATION & MAINTENANCE NEEDS - additional funding to address this need would be extremely helpful Recognizing overall national budget limitations, at a minimum request flexibility in the use of existing funds (e.g., PWSS grants) to cover basic operation and maintenance costs associated with both public water systems and small (non-public) systems.

Kelp Beds at Trinidad Bay Trinidad Rancheria

Before Dry Creek Rancheria

La Jolla Reservation Invasive species removal project Tributary Stream Clean-Up

TAS Process Currently, seven Tribes in the Region have Tribal Water Quality Standards Tribes request that the TAS process for water quality standards be improved. The current process is too slow. Tribes also request continuous funding for Tribes with TAS

Bishop Paiute Tribe Treatment as a State Approval

Pond at Gila River Indian Community