PHOENIX June 30, 2022 – USDA Rural Development Arizona State Director Charlene Fernandez today announced USDA is investing $1.2 million to expand access to clean water for people in Tribal communities in northern Arizona.
“Access to water is easy to take for granted when it comes out of the tap already treated and free-flowing,” Fernandez said. “However, this isn’t the reality in much of rural Arizona. Hauling water is a daily activity for too many of our rural residents. Today’s announcement will ensure more people in our state will enjoy easier access to safe, clean water.”
In Arizona, Painted Desert Demonstration Projects Incorporated will use $1.2 million to make essential water system improvements in northern Arizona for residents of the Navajo Nation and Hopi Tribes. This project will replace a water storage tank and expand the on-site solar system to power water pumping. Seventy-two percent of the homes in the immediate vicinity do not have running water. This project will provide treated, monitored water so that residents will have access to point-of-service watering stations instead of hauling water over long distances.
Today’s announcement is part of a national announcement that USDA is investing $13 million to expand access to rural water infrastructure and create economic opportunities for people who live and work in colonias, rural and Tribal communities.
The investments are part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to ensure that people living in rural America have equitable access to the infrastructure and economic opportunities they deserve. They include more than $9 million to help nearly 14,000 people located in socially vulnerable communities. Today’s investment is made possible through USDA’s Water & Waste Disposal Grants to Alleviate Health Risks on Tribal Lands and Colonias. A colonia is defined as a rural community within the U.S.-Mexico border region that lacks adequate water, sewer or housing, or a combination of all three.
Under the leadership of the Biden-Harris Administration, Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, tribal and high-poverty areas. For more information, visit http://www.rd.usda.gov/az. If you’d like to subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate-smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.