Lawmakers from two states have teamed up in an effort to increase access to clean water in Native American households.
As reported by the Utah News Dispatch, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich from New Mexico introduced the Tribal Access to Clean Water Act alongside U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper from Colorado. The legislation aims to provide increased funding and support for water infrastructure development, maintenance, and technical assistance within Native American communities.
The bill said: "The public health of Indian Tribes and the Native Hawaiian Community lags behind other communities in the United States at least in part as a result of lack of public health infrastructure, including access to running water. It also seeks to address health disparities linked to inadequate water and sanitation infrastructure."
Data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services revealed Native American households are 19 times more likely to lack indoor plumbing than white households. In Navajo communities, residents are 67 times more likely to lack access to running water. Meanwhile, three-quarters of the people living on Hopi land are limited to drinking contaminated water.
In a press release following the introduction of the bill, Sen. Heinrich spoke about the reasoning behind the effort. "Nearly half of Native American households lack access to clean and reliable water supplies. That is completely unacceptable," he said in a statement.
Limited access to clean water can greatly increase the risk of waterborne diseases, leading to illness, disability, and death, especially in young children or senior adults. Contaminated water can transmit diseases such as cholera, dysentery, and hepatitis. A lack of clean running water can also have significant social and economic consequences, including increased health care costs and diminished agricultural industries.
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"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," Heinrich added.
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