Federal officials say the Hopi Tribe has failed to meet a deadline to reduce arsenic in drinking water at the tribe’s cultural center.
The Hopi Tribe agreed to pay a $3,800 fine and told the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency it plans to finish a treatment system by early next year. The tribe says it has set aside funding for the project and selected contractors.
The work is part of a 2016 agreement between the tribe and the EPA.
The Hopi Cultural Center east of Tuba City supplies drinking water for 25 people on the reservation.
The EPA says a regional water pipeline also is in the works. The agency says high levels of arsenic in drinking water can increase the risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and neurological damage.