A recent report looked into why Indigenous communities within the Colorado River Basin are struggling to get clean, reliable running water. A household in tribal lands is 19 times more likely than a white household to not have indoor plumbing, and during the pandemic this had catastrophic effects on some Indigenous communities. According a 2019 report outlining the action plan for closing the water access gap throughout the United States, “race is the strongest predictor of water and sanitation access,” and it’s Indigenous people who face this problem most. This report published out of the independent Water & Tribes Initiative Wednesday looks into what’s causing the deficiency, the federal government’s responsibility to provide clean water to tribes, and how some federal agencies are trying to fix the problem. It also explains the barriers currently in place and suggests ways to get water to tribes. To view the full article visit Arizona Public Media.
