The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the termination of three Safe Drinking Water Act Administrative Orders with four Hopi Villages and one Administrative Order on Consent with the Hopi Tribe. This marks a successful collaboration between the EPA, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Indian Health Service (IHS), and the Hopi Tribe to address drinking water issues for approximately 6,400 residents within the Hopi Reservation in Navajo County, Arizona.
The initiative involved bringing the Hopi Cultural Center and four tribal village public water systems back into compliance with federal arsenic limits in drinking water. These systems include First Mesa Consolidated Villages and the Villages of Sipaulovi, Shungopavi, and Mishongnovi. Compliance was achieved by connecting to the New Regional Water System operated by the Hopi Utilities Corporation.
"EPA is committed to protecting the health of tribal members," stated EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. "It is essential that water systems, particularly those responsible for providing drinking water to tribal communities, adhere to safety standards set by the Safe Drinking Water Act."
Previously, arsenic levels in these community water systems ranged from 12 mg/L to 35 mg/L, exceeding the federally regulated standard of 10 mg/L under the Safe Drinking Water Act. The EPA issued Administrative Orders to these villages and entered a settlement agreement with the Hopi Tribe concerning the Hopi Cultural Center. By 2023 and 2024, these orders were terminated following connections made to the New Regional Water System.
This achievement offers significant public health benefits for Hopi residents while also reducing long-term operational costs and maintenance burdens on village authorities. The project was supported by over $25 million in federal and Tribal infrastructure investment after decades of collaboration.
The EPA mandated that both the Hopi Cultural Center and villages permanently disconnect from their previous water sources to ensure protection of water quality in this new system.
For further details on protective drinking water standards or regulations visit EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Act webpage or their Water Enforcement webpage.
