Two Arizona Tribes Get Water, Sewer Funds Story-Date: 07:17 p.m. PST Sunday , July 20, 1997 Two Arizona Tribes Get Water, Sewer Funds BY KAY HUMPHREY, INDIAN COUNTRY TODAY, RAPID CITY, S.D. Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News PHOENIX, Ariz.--Jul. 21--Two nations, which long have been plagued by inadequate water and sewer systems, have been funded for upgrades that will improve the quality of life for tribal members. The White Mountain Apache Tribe in Navajo County and the Cocopah Tribe in Yuma County have been granted federal funds under the Water 2000 Initiative. Tribal members of the White Mountain Apache nation have long awaited clean drinking water. Their system was contaminated by sewage and solid waste. A John Hopkins University study conducted more than a decade ago showed the incidence of infectious diseases, many of them from water-borne contaminants, was up to 50 times above the national average. The tribe most recently received $422,250 from the Rural Development and $75,000 from the Indian Health Service. Last year, the tribe received $2.6 million in water system funding for the first major western rural water system in Carrizo. Tribal Chairman Ronnie Lupe said the water improvement monies are making a difference in the daily lives of tribal members who had to go to great lengths to access drinking water. The tribe has received about $6 million in monies from the U.S.D.A. for a water line project that has already improved the lives of residents who had to haul water in order to provide clean drinking water for their households. Closely clustered tribal communities, once served by a series of wells along the White River and an outdated water line, are being hooked to a new water main which will stretch 20 miles and pump 400 gallons of water per minute for residents. The new water system is part of a decade old plan to provide tribal members with clean drinking water. ``It took quite a bit of effort on our part in tapping into the agencies, but the combined efforts of all the agencies really helped us,'' the chairman said. ``The water will help us develop the area for housing and industry. And there will be no more shortages,'' Chairman Lupe said. The Cocopah Tribe soon will replace failing septic tanks, leach fields and tribal member's bypassing of collapsed septic tanks with waste water facilities on the western portion of the reservation. The tribe has received $775,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development, $100,000 from Indian Health Services and $325,000 from a Colonais Grant. It will use the grant as part of its share for the cost of the project. The tribe was the first in the state and among the first in the nation to receive the Colonias monies. The tribe applied for the monies to upgrade its waste water system because of the concern that the continued discharge of the untreated waste would contaminate the ground water. ``Water 2000 is ensuring that every rural American home has a tap that delivers clean, safe water. Last year, our office spent over $13 million for water and waste water improvements including $500,000 in Water 2000 funding for the Toyei Compound on the Navajo nation,'' said Alan Stephens, Arizona state director of Rural Development. The federal Rural Development agency will invest $112 million on 84 projects in 43 states and Puerto Rico. Since the initiative began three years ago, the U.S.D.A. has invested more than $1 billion in 900 communities for the system upgrades. ``Too often in rural America, you can't turn on the tap and get a good drink of water. Safe. clean drinking water is a resource too many of us take for granted,'' said Vice President Al Gore, who recently announced the release of the funding. ``We're committed to helping rural communities deliver safe drinking water to their residents,'' the vice president said. Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman said more than 2.5 million people face serious drinking water problems from poor water quality and inadequate access to water sources. ----- ON THE INTERNET: Visit Indian Country Today on the World Wide Web at http://www.indiancountry.com/ ----- (c) 1997, Indian Country Today, Rapid City, S.D. Distributed by Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News. ------------------------------------------------------------