The San Carlos Apache Tribe in Arizona is set to receive vital federal funds for wastewater and sanitation infrastructure.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, it’s part of a pilot program that aims to bring basic wastewater management to communities that lack the means to protect public health and the environment.
On the San Carlos Reservation wastewater is currently managed with septic systems and a lagoon disposal facility, but the systems are outdated and threaten groundwater and officials are concerned about them failing.
The funds for the project come from last year’s sweeping Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that allocated more than $8 billion to aging water infrastructure, water storage and recycling, drought contingency and dam safety in the West.