Almost all of the liquid freshwater in the world is groundwater.¹⁹ However, much of the groundwater on the Navajo Reservation is contaminated with uranium and arsenic. ²⁰ Remoteness, chronic underfunding, and past government policies have also played a roll in access to clean drinking water.

Do you have to haul water into your home to brush your teeth, wash your hands, or wash your dishes? People on the Navajo Reservation do. 30% of them.¹

When you make your pot of coffee in the mornings, do you once think that the water you use might be contaminated? Navajo people do.

When you get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, do you have to walk outside, in the dark, to an outhouse? Navajo residents do. 42% of them.²

Give the gift of clean, convenient water, to a Native American family in need.

Water has decreased 98% in the 20th century due to rising temperatures and declining rainfall, making groundwater the principal source of drinking water. ⁷ But keep in mind, most of the groundwater on the Navajo Nation is contaminated, due to abandoned uranium mines. ¹⁰ According to EPA, unregulated drinking water sources are the greatest public health risk on the Navajo Nation. ⁹

Tribes face constant legal battles over water access and water rights on Native land. Infrastructure in remote reservation communities is often outdated and funding for repairs and improvements is often unavailable. ⁸

Lets not forget, we are still in a pandemic... If there is no running water in the home, it's hard to follow handwashing guidelines and stay-at-home/social distancing orders. Please make your gift now to help provide the Native American Elders, children, and families with clean water.

¹ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-navajo-nation-running-water-cbsn-originals/ ² http://navajobusiness.com/pdf/Ads/2006_2010ACS/ACS_10_5YR_B25047_PlumbNoPlumbByChapters_051712.pdf ³ http://blog.nativepartnership.org/world-water-day-conserving-a-precious-resource/ and http://blog.nativepartnership.org/will-you-make-a-difference-on-world-water-day/ ⁶ https://waterinthewest.stanford.edu/news-events/news-insights/native-waters-risk-learning-listen ⁷ https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/1926292/water-is-life-covid-19-exposes-chronic-crisis-in-navajo-nation ⁸ https://www.nativeknot.com/blog/Partnership-with-Native-Americans/World-Water-Day-Water-Scarcity-for-Indigenous-Peoples.html ⁹ http://uswateralliance.org/sites/uswateralliance.org/files/Closing%20the%20Water%20Access%20Gap%20in%20the%20United%20States_DIGITAL.pdf ¹⁰https://www.epa.gov/navajo-nation-uranium-cleanup/abandoned-mines-cleanup#:~:text=Many%20Navajo%20people%20worked%20the,with%20elevated%20levels%20of%20radiation. ¹⁸ http://closethewatergap.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Dig-Deep_Closing-the-Water-Access-Gap-in-the-United-States_DIGITAL_compressed.pdf ¹⁹https://www.dropbox.com/sh/kol9q9e5u26ctgv/AAAeSBN2Bf2trILgcZ1KmWgRa?dl=0&preview=WorldWaterDay2022_Factsheet_ENGLISH.pdf ²⁰https://www.epa.gov/navajo-nation-uranium-cleanup/water-sampling-results-navajo-nation