Household Survey of Drinking Water Sources and Contaminant Exposures in the Navajo Nation

Many households on Navajo Nation haul water from unregulated, untreated sources that are not approved for human consumption and may contain natural chemicals, bacteria and other contaminants.

In order to determine the quality of water used by Navajo households that haul water, we tested unregulated water sources (e.g., livestock wells, springs) used for hauling drinking water on Navajo Nation for inorganic contaminants (e.g., metals, nitrates), coliform, and basic water composition.

Of the water samples collected, 12% exceeded primary drinking water standards (DWS) for one or more contaminants.

Thus, there are opportunities to improve the quality of water available to households in Navajo Nation that are not currently connected to public water.