The recipient will plan and design for construction and operation of new raw water delivery and domestic drinking water treatment facilities for the SAN carlos regional water system which serves the…

The Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation awarded a $6,041,724.15 Cooperative Agreement to the San Carlos Apache Tribal Council on February 19, 2026, under the Domestic Water Supply Projects program (CFDA 15.577) to plan and design raw water delivery and domestic drinking water treatment facilities for the San Carlos Regional Water System serving the central portion of the reservation in eastern Arizona.

The planning and design work will analyze alternatives and develop a water delivery system to convey water from an existing nearby reservoir to new treatment facilities, supplying safe, clean drinking water to underserved communities. The project will deliver up to 100 percent of water needed for domestic water purposes for these communities. The majority of the tribal population in the service area currently lacks access to reliable potable water and experiences frequent service curtailments or complete shutdowns due to poor source groundwater quality, electrical outages, or system failures. Families have been forced to boil water or travel many miles to alternative sources to meet basic drinking, cooking, washing, cleaning, and sanitation needs.

The award period runs through June 30, 2028, with performance in Arizona. The Domestic Water Supply Projects program, authorized under Section 50231 of the Inflation Reduction Act, provides up to 100 percent funding for planning, design, and construction of water projects serving tribal or insular area communities lacking reliable domestic water supplies, with $550 million available through fiscal year 2031.

The recipient will plan and design for construction and operation of new raw water delivery and domestic drinking water treatment facilities for the SAN carlos regional water system which serves the central portion of the reservation in eastern arizona. The majority of the tribal population resides in this area without access to safe, clean, and reliable drinking water. These communities suffer frequent water service curtailments or complete shutdowns due to poor source groundwater quality, electrical outages, or system mechanical failures, often during the hot, summer season. Families must boil water or find alternative means to meet basic potable water needs for drinking, cooking, washing cleaning, and sanitation hygiene - sometimes traveling many miles from home to do so. Planning and design will analyze alternatives and design a water delivery system to convey water from an existing nearby reservoir to new treatment facilities for supply to these underserved homes, providing more reliable access to safe, clean drinking water. The project will deliver up to 100 percent of water needed for domestic water purposes for these communities.