U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper, Michael Bennet, and Martin Heinrich, alongside U.S. Representative Joe Neguse reintroduced legislation to dramatically expand tribal access to clean water by investing in water infrastructure. This bill would increase funding through the Indian Health Service, United States Department of Agriculture, and the Bureau of Reclamation. It would support water infrastructure projects and help provide clean water to Native American households who currently lack access.
Many Native American Households Lack Indoor Plumbing
“Too many Tribal families still don’t have access to clean water and reliable wastewater infrastructure. Our bill builds on clean water investments we secured for Tribes in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, makes sure Tribes can get their fair share in the rural grant process, and helps meet sanitation needs,” said Senator Hickenlooper. In addition to Senators Hickenlooper, Bennet, and Heinrich, this legislation is also cosponsored by U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren, Ron Wyden, Angus King, Alex Padilla, and Bernie Sanders.
Currently, the 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 report commissioned by the Colorado River Water and Tribes Initiative documents the different forms of lack of access to safe and reliable drinking water among tribes in the Colorado River Basin, together with some of the deficiencies in the federal programs designed to address this problem and recommendations for improvement. Lack of access to drinking water negatively impacts health, education, economic development, and other aspects of daily life.
Legislation Supports Water Infrastructure Improvement
The ‘‘Tribal Access to Clean Water Act of 2023,” the bill extends authority of the U.S. Department of Agriculture to make loans and grants for improving water systems and authorizes additional $30 million for technical assistance. The bill further authorizes $18 million for the Native American Affairs Technical Assistance Program of the Bureau of Reclamation. And, the bill authorizes $20 million for the Indian Health Service for sanitation facilities.
According to a statement from Senator Heinrich, nearly a third of Native American households do not have access to clean and reliable water. “We delivered historic federal investments to make real progress in connecting more Tribal communities to water and wastewater infrastructure. But we must do more,” said Senator Heinrich. “This legislation will address the significant backlog of infrastructure projects that is standing in the way of delivering clean drinking water to Tribal communities.”
Tribal leaders and organizations expressed support for the legislation, noting its significance for tribal governance. The Chairman of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Manuel Heart said, “This bill’s recognition of the need for the support of an independent and functional Tribal utility to professionally manage 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.”
Earlier this year, the EPA announced its largest investment of annual water infrastructure funding ever for Tribes and Alaska Native Villages through President’s Biden’s Investing in America agenda. This legislation would build upon those water infrastructure investments administered through the EPA.
Learn More
The text of the bill is available HERE. A summary of the bill is available HERE.
