When the installation of domestic water systems in the Navajo Nation stalled due to the pandemic, a nonprofit had to work on a solution.
NAVAJO COUNTY, Ariz. – For many, life is divided into two epochs: before the pandemic and after the pandemic.
Prior to the pandemic, the Navajo Water Project went through the nonprofit DigDeep into Navajo Nation homes and installed water systems that brought hot and cold running water to people’s homes.
After the pandemic, that work came to a standstill, even though people lost their jobs and returned to the nation. In some cases the house sizes grew to 10 or more people.
What stayed the same, however, was that 30% of the homes in the Navajo Nation were without running water. And in a pandemic that required frequent hand washing and social distancing, that fact made coronavirus suppression difficult in the nation.
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“We haven’t been allowed to go home since the pandemic. So we started [installing] Storage tanks. It’s a 275-gallon storage tank that we put as close to the door as possible outside of our homes, ”said Cindy Howe, Project Manager at DigDeep.
But the water in these storage tanks did not last long for families, especially those who had grown significantly in size. For the folks at the Navajo Water Project, this solution wouldn’t help.
The death of a loved one at the Navajo Water Project, Ernest Largo, also motivated the team to think outside the box to continue their work despite the challenges posed by the pandemic.
Ernie, as many knew him, was a selfless, spiritual man and a link between the Navajo community and the Navajo Water Project.
“He knew the whole community. He knew exactly who needed water, so he brought us names of people who really needed our help, ”said Cindy.
Ernie died from COVID-19.
The Navajo Water Project team overheard him at the hospital saying he wanted the team to move on without him. So they did.
“One of my co-workers, Kenneth Chavez, came in and said, ‘You know, why can’t we just put in all of the things we do [the system] in the house? We can just put everything in a box, something like a suitcase, ”said Don Begay, water solar technician and water truck driver at DigDeep. “So he thought about it and started working on it and it worked.”
The case is an insulated box that contains a water pump, filter and expansion tank. The electricity for the pump comes from solar panels installed in the house. A line is led from the panels to a battery. A switch for control was placed on the outside of the box, along with a gauge that shows the pressure in the waterline.
“From this waterline, [the water] goes straight into a spigot that comes in outside the box, ”Don said. “It worked perfectly. We had no contact with people or the homeowners. The only time we needed to have contact was at the end of where they needed to come out and understand how things work on the suitcase. “
So far, twelve suitcases have been installed in the nation. However, the case is not a permanent solution for the Navajo Water Project’s domestic water systems.
“We already have the tank in the ground. We already have the pipes close enough to the house to be able to work. If we are allowed to go back into the houses, we will connect to it and put the sink in the house. So it becomes a domestic water system, ”said Cindy.
Currently, pandemic restrictions still exist for the Navajo nation. But if they do lift, the Navajo Water Project team will be ready to resume the water plumbing at home.
And the team hopes they will be driving a truck named Ernie so their loved ones can make sure that those with the greatest water needs in their community continue to live.
“[The guys] wanted to put the big Ernie on one of the trucks. This is something we need to make sure it goes through. “
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