Legislation Would Fulfill Trust Obligation to Provide Clean, Accessible Water for Indigenous Communities

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Tribal Access to Clean Water Act, introduced by Senator Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Representative Joe Neguse (D-Colo.), would address one of the most significant challenges facing Indigenous Peoples by allocating vital resources to expand clean water access. This bill is a step toward rectifying decades of disparity for Tribal and Indigenous communities.

"Water is a basic human right and this bill fulfills the government's trust obligation to Tribes and Indigenous communities to ensure all Native populations have access to clean drinking water." said Garrit Voggesser, senior director of Tribal partnerships and policy for the National Wildlife Federation. "More than half of the country's Indigenous Peoples haven't had access to clean drinking water. Water must be accessible to not only support public health, but also meet historical, cultural, ecological, and rights-based needs."

"For far too long, many indigenous Americans - American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians - have gone without access to a clean and safe drinking water supply," said John Echohawk, executive director and co-founder of the Native American Rights Fund and member of the Pawnee Nation. "These are not isolated or regional deficiencies, but rather a nationwide disparity in access to a basic ingredient of life. This bill will help to address gaps in current support for Tribal drinking water access and help to fulfill the Federal government's treaty and trust responsibility to Native American Tribes."

The Tribal Access to Clean Water Act would authorize:

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, to make grants and loans for technical assistance, as well as for construction.
• Increased funding for USDA's Rural Development Community Facilities Grant and Loan Program of $100 million per year and $30 million per year specifically for technical assistance, ensuring Native communities are treated equitably and appropriately when considered for grants and loans.
• Increased funding for existing programs of the Indian Health Service for water and sanitation facilities construction including for non-commercial community facilities, technical assistance, and operation and maintenance assistance.
• The allocation of $90 million over five years for the Bureau of Reclamation's existing Native American Affairs Technical Assistance Program.

Learn more about Tribal clean water at: https://tribalcleanwater.org/