Clean Water, Indigenous Solutions

Over the last few years, University of Arizona partners and Sixth World Solutions, which develops socio-economic solutions for Indigenous Peoples, Nations, and communities, have been collaborating on piloting off-grid water filtration systems in Navajo Nation.

Bridging science with community priorities, the nanofiltration system removes water contaminants and is an alternative to water hauling for those living off-grid. Currently, four nanofiltration systems are being piloted on Navajo Nation. The goal of this project is to take knowledge back into their communities to build food, energy, and water security. 

“The goal is our people, especially our elders, don't have to wait many years for water line projects to be funded, but that they would have clean water today and that their own people are leading those projects,” Dr. Karletta Chief, professor and extension specialist in the Department of Environmental Science and director of the Indigenous Resilience Center, said in a new video.

The partnership includes experts across the Departments of Geography, Development and Environment; Chemical and Environmental Engineering; and Environmental Science, as well as the Cooperative Extension, the Indigenous Resilience Center, and Indige-FEWSS.

Collaborators on this project who share their work in the video include (in order of appearance): Dr. Andrew Curley, Janene Yazzie, Kern Collymore, Dr. Vicky Karanikola, Dr. Karletta Chief, Dr. Tommy Rock, Dr. Bob Arnold, Parvannah Lee, Ryannen Ahasteen, Nikki Tulley, Wilda Salt, and Eugenia Newton Charles.