Albuquerque: The Navajo Nation, hard hit by COVID-19, hopes to use roughly half of the $600 million it is receiving in aid under the federal CARES Act to install the pipes and pumps needed so that the sprawling community will have access to running water. More than 30 percent of tribal members don’t have access, making it difficult to do the hand-washing and frequent cleaning needed to combat the novel coronavirus, according to a report by Albuquerque-based KOB4 News.
Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said $300 million would allow his community to solve many of its water delivery problems.
“Your president sitting right here where I live—no running water still. We still haul water. We need to get water to all our citizens just in case of another bug, another pandemic in the future,” said President Nez.
Nez said he hoped to move quickly on the project, in part because funding has to be spent by year-end. More on this story can be read here.
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