Navajos weigh using CARES Act money for water projects

Portable water storage, handwashing stations considered

The Navajo Nation is deciding how to spend more than $600 million in federal aid to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

The Navajo government received the funds earlier this month from the U.S. Treasury Department as part of $8 billion designated for tribal governments under the CARES Act.

“It’s not a handout — it’s our share of aid to help us fight this pandemic,” Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said during a virtual town hall early last week.

The Navajo Nation Council passed a bill establishing the Navajo Nation Cares Act Fund. The bill, yet to be signed by President Nez, would also streamline the traditional Navajo funding process.

Many comments submitted to the council argue for the federal money to pay for water projects.

The Manuelito Navajo Chapter, west of Gallup, passed a resolution in April asking the council to invest in portable water storage, hand-washing stations and shower units.

“The Manuelito Navajo Chapter has determined that waiting on water service lines to homes will take years to accomplish,” says the resolution, which adds that increased water access could help prevent spread of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.

A 2019 report from the U.S. Water Alliance and DigDeep estimates about 30% of Navajo residents lack running water. Decadeslong delays in federal infrastructure projects and water contamination on some tribal lands are cited as some reasons for the lack of water in many remote Navajo homes.

“We’re going to be addressing that through the $600 million,” Nez said.

It is unclear whether Navajo water infrastructure projects would align

with Treasury’s specific use guidelines. The guidelines mandate the money be used for “necessary expenditures incurred due to the public health emergency with respect to COVID-19.” The expenses must not have been accounted for in the most recent budget and must be incurred from March 1 to Dec. 30 of this year.

As of Friday, the reservation had more than 4,400 COVID-19 cases and 147 deaths. More than 13% of the reservation’s population has been tested for the virus, according to the Navajo Department of Health.

Another bill introduced by Navajo Council Delegate Edmund Yazzie would task a multibranch Navajo government group to craft a spending plan for the CARES Act money. The bill would authorize the immediate spending of about $50.5 million for personal protective equipment, food and water distribution and disinfection of government offices.

The bill would also direct the federal money toward “waterline, electricity (and) telecommunication projects” as necessary efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19.