The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced $147 million in federal grants to help underserved communities plagued by water scarcity issues.
$6.6 million was granted to the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation which operates the Ute Tribe Water Systems, providing water service to tribal members.
The Ute Tribe Water System relies on two shallow springs that the Interior Department said are subject to productivity fluctuations determined by local hydrology. The current system is said to lack storage capacity during certain seasons or drought periods with the springs becoming insufficient to meet demands. This requires water hauling to tribal members.
The decreased production of the springs has resulted in low water pressure issues, prompting mandatory boiling orders from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The tribe will construct three new domestic water supply wells, a water treatment facility, transmission and distribution pipelines and a 90,000 gallon water storage tank to enhance water supply reliability and quality.
This new infrastructure will provide up to 168 acre-feet of water per year.
The project will also extend its services to residents in the Farm Creek Loop Road area who currently rely on private wells that periodically run dry. The water system benefits 3,000 tribal members.
