State / Province: New Mexico

The Navajo Nation spans over 27,000 square miles across Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. Many Navajo residents live far from water lines, with 30% of homes lacking running water. Those without access often rely on hauled water from contaminated wells or expensive bottled water. Dilkon Chapter, in the southwestern part of the Navajo Nation, faces significant water access challenges, with 24% of residents living in homes without plumbing. DigDeep, the only non-governmental organization active in the area, is working to provide piped water connections for 50 homes.

The Navajo Nation covers over 27,000 square miles of land in the Four Corners region, in Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. Traditionally, Navajo (Diné) are semi-nomadic people, herding livestock and tending crops in the land between the Four Sacred Mountains. To this day, many Navajo live scattered across the Nation, miles from major water lines, making plumbing water to individual homes prohibitively expensive. Roughly 30% of homes in the Navajo Nation do not have running water. Residents without running water rely on water hauled over long distances, either drawn from potentially contaminated wells or expensive bottled water from grocery stores.

Dilkon Chapter is one of 27 chapters in the Fort Defiance Agency of the Navajo Nation. It is located in the southwestern part of the Navajo Nation, in Navajo County, AZ. The closest towns are Holbrook and Winslow, AZ, about 50 and 40 miles away, respectively. Census data indicates 24% of Dilkon chapter residents live in homes that lack complete plumbing facilities.1 According to preliminary research by the Navajo Water Project Director, there are at least 332 families in Dilkon chapter that do not have running water in their homes.

Currently, DigDeep is the only non-governmental entity actively working in the Dilkon area to install Home Water Systems, deliver water, and offer bill pay assistance and plumbing fixes at no cost. DigDeep is providing support for piped water connections to approximately 50 homes that are eligible for piped water supply and need help with the in-home plumbing, funding and/or required documentation.