How Do We Fix It?
Access to clean water for Native communities is at the nexus of the main priorities of the Biden/Harris Administration: controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, addressing racial equity, economic recovery through investment in infrastructure, and tackling climate change. It’s also a smart economic investment – every dollar spent on sanitation facilities in tribal areas in the U.S. has at least a twenty-fold return in health benefits. Now is the time to join together to solve this longstanding public health crisis.
FUNDING PROVIDED BY IIJA

Indian Health Service
- Sanitation Facilities Construction Program: $3.5 billion
Bureau of Reclamation
- Indian Water Rights Settlements (that can include infrastructure funding): $90 million
- Rural Water Supply Projects: $1 billion
Environmental Protection Agency
- Clean Water State Revolving Fund – Tribal Set-Asides: $239 million
- Drinking Water State Revolving Fund – Tribal Set-Asides: $239 million
- Indian Reservation Drinking Water Program: $250 million
- Operation Sustainability of Small Public Water Systems Grant Program (may include, but does not exclusively serve, Tribal systems): $50 million/year
- Additional funds for technical assistance to Tribal publicly owned wastewater systems
FUNDING PROVIDED BY IRA
Bureau of Reclamation
- Plan, design, construct water supply projects for disadvantaged communities: $550 million
REMAINING FUNDING NEEDED
Indian Health Service
- Essential Community Facilities: $228 million
- Technical Assistance and Training: $150 million
- Operations and Maintenance Assistance: $500 million
Bureau of Reclamation
- Technical Assistance and Training: $90 million
Department of Agriculture
- Rural Development – Grants for Water Systems: $500 million
- Technical Assistance: $150 million
LEARN MORE ON OUR LEGISLATION & PARTNERS PAGE.