"When it comes to quality of life, most people don't think about the luxury of having clean running water. But for more than 10,000 Navajo citizens it's a luxury they have awaited for more than four decades, and they continue to wait.

In a dedication ceremony earlier this month, the Counselor Chapter kicked off the $29 million Eastern Navajo Waterline Project that will cross four counties and eight chapters. The project is a part of a four-part phase titled Omnibus Public Land Management Act that was signed into law by President Barack Obama last April.

The act's purpose is to provide families across the Navajo Nation with clean drinking water and ensure the health and welfare of these communities. The Eastern Navajo Waterline Project is a segment of the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project.

About 6,000 residents have the plumbing needed already in place to allow for running water as soon as the pipeline is complete.

The remaining 4,000 resident do not have plumbing in place and will have a couple of options once the work is done. These options include watering points that work much like vending machines. Machines will be located in central locations in each community. Residents will insert credits into the machine and the machine will dispense water."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Another needed step for Navajo water (The Farmington Daily Times 4/22)

Relevant Documents:
President Obama Remarks | STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT | BACKGROUND ON THE OMNIBUS PUBLIC LANDS MANAGEMENT ACT BILL SIGNING | Secretary Ken Salazar Remarks

Omnibus Lands Bill:
H.R.146 | S.22

Related Stories:
Navajo Nation kicks off $29M water project in New Mexico (4/13)
Survey work starts on major Navajo Nation water project (03/23)
Salazar signs Navajo water pipeline decision (10/1)
Announcement set for Navajo pipeline project (9/30)
Editorial: Much work left on Navajo water rights (06/10)
Navajo Nation celebrates water rights settlement (05/27)
Editorial: Water project benefits Navajo people (4/9)
Obama signs omnibus public lands bill into law (3/31)
Obama to sign omnibus public lands bill into law (3/30)
Tribal provisions included in omnibus lands bill (3/26)
Navajo Nation water rights settlement in Congress (02/17)