Deb Haaland U.S. Secretary of the Interior | Official Website
The Department of the Interior has announced an investment nearing $82 million to provide clean drinking water to Tribal communities in the Western United States. This funding is part of President Biden's Investing in America agenda and will support 23 projects through a program established by the Inflation Reduction Act, recognized as the largest climate investment to date.
During a visit to the San Carlos Apache Tribe in eastern Arizona, Bureau of Reclamation Deputy Commissioner David Palumbo and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Gary Gold disclosed that $7.3 million will be allocated for planning, designing, and obtaining approvals for new water facilities. These facilities aim to address frequent water shortages and quality issues affecting much of the tribe's population residing in central reservation areas.
President Biden's initiative aims to deliver significant investments across various sectors, including high-speed internet, transportation infrastructure, sanitation systems, electricity supply, and job creation within Tribal communities. Secretary Deb Haaland emphasized the importance of these investments: “Investing in water infrastructure projects is crucial to ensuring the health, safety and economic prosperity of Indigenous communities.”
Deputy Commissioner David Palumbo added: “Through new resources provided through President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda, we are able to support our Tribal partners who have demonstrated a need and plan for providing or improving their domestic water systems.”
The Inflation Reduction Act allocates $550 million towards domestic water supply projects targeting historically disadvantaged communities. Earlier this year, Reclamation offered $320 million until Fiscal Year 2031 for planning and construction costs associated with such projects. The agency engaged extensively with Tribes across 17 western states during this funding opportunity.
Of the 23 funded projects announced today, 21 will focus on planning and design phases while two are set for construction funding. Further details on these projects can be found on Reclamation’s website.
This financial commitment also aligns with President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative which seeks to direct at least 40 percent of certain federal investment benefits towards marginalized communities suffering from underinvestment and pollution challenges.
