[timb64]

I guess it goes back to centuries of kicking Native Americans off of any and all land that had any use to white people. The land they have left is barely habitable. In the case of the Navajo Nation, casinos aren't much of a thing there. It's a remote area. None of the main routes between major U.S. cities pass through it. A typical household there looks like this:



Their economy through the 20th century was mostly based around mining uranium and coal, which paid little, and was terrible for the health of both the people and the land. Yet even that has mostly faded away in recent years. Arizona's largest coal plant, the Navajo Generating Station near Page, was one of the region's few remaining large employers. It shut down last year. Unemployment is currently at 42% in the Nation.



There are 12 clinics in the Navajo Nation. Severe Coronavirus cases have to be flown out to hospitals in places like Flagstaff, but hospitals statewide are at 85% capacity now. There won't be room left for much longer.

Serkevan's friend is right, most of the people I see here in the Phoenix metro take no precautions whatsoever. Of course I'm only seeing the people not staying home, but it's a lot of people. And lots of these carefree people go out each weekend to see the sights, like maybe Monument Valley on the Navajo Nation. That's why the Nation is locking down on weekends: to tell those people not to come, even though it's just about all the economy they have left. Even basic precautions like "wash hands regularly" are a tall order in a place without running water.

Shame,just shame can be the only response to this sort of news!

[mkgd1]

One out of three residents don't even have running water,

I'm not trying to minimize the plight of the Navajo nation, but I think that the above applies to a good slice of Northern Arizona. It's not exactly lack of running water, it's lack of city piped water. I'm not a native American, but I am not connected to city water. I have a 2500gallon underground tank and a pump in the garage with a bladder tank. Water has to be hauled from a metered standpipe a couple of miles from the house. Some neighbors get their own in truck bed tanks or trailer mounted tanks. I have mine trucked in 1500 gallons at a time. which lasts us about 16 days. Also, the tribal parks like monument valley, never reopened they have been closed since March 14th,so it's not careless tourists from Phoenix causing the spread.

[scratchpaddy]

I'm not trying to minimize the plight of the Navajo nation, but I think that the above applies to a good slice of Northern Arizona. It's not exactly lack of running water, it's lack of city piped water. I'm not a native American, but I am not connected to city water. I have a 2500gallon underground tank and a pump in the garage with a bladder tank. Water has to be hauled from a metered standpipe a couple of miles from the house. Some neighbors get their own in truck bed tanks or trailer mounted tanks. I have mine trucked in 1500 gallons at a time. which lasts us about 16 days. Also, the tribal parks like monument valley, never reopened they have been closed since March 14th,so it's not careless tourists from Phoenix causing the spread.

You're right about tribal parks having been closed for months. Thanks for the correction. It's still problematic to have the outbreak running so rampant in the surrounding states, when resources are so scarce and Navajo residents have to travel far to get supplies.

Their 57-hour weekend lockdowns are really strict. Even grocery and gas stations are closed. This is from the NDOH Public Health Emergency Order issued this week:

Essential Businesses, including all stores, gas stations, restaurants and drive-through food establishments shall be closed. Hay and other vendors must cease operations for the duration of the Weekend Lockdown. This closure and cease operations requirement does not apply to Healthcare Operations, Essential Government Functions, or Essential Infrastructure

Interesting about the water, I was wondering how people lived without piped or well water. I did some more research, and the "1 in 3" figure really is people without a tap or toilet in their home. That's a figure from the non-profit Navajo Water Project, which works to provide homes with setups like yours. Water sill needs to be trucked in, but it sure beats carrying buckets.

Here's a video PBS did about Navajo Water Project a few years ago:

You Tube

You Tube

The region's mining history has also left much of the groundwater contaminated with uranium and arsenic, making wells difficult. Additionally, a study by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences found that Navajo households paid on average 71 times as much for water as an average urban household.

[dstar]

New Mexico Navajo same problem Gallop has highest number case and death number Only New Mexico governor keep state very very slow to open very little plus travel restrictions with 14 day stay at home for all who travel to NM

[Racer X 69]

I have mine trucked in 1500 gallons at a time. which lasts us about 16 days.

Almost 100 gallons of water a day?

Even for two people that seems like a lot.

[mkgd1]

Almost 100 gallons of water a day?

Even for two people that seems like a lot.

Average use in USA per person is over 500gallons per day. There are 2 of us and three big dogs. At my last home in CA we were pretty near that figure.

[Ex Finn.]

My county charges me a flat rate for 6000 gallons per month for my household, use it or not, anything more is an over-usage and I have to pay more. So for a family of four that is 50 gallons per head per day.
Now that it is just me, I get screwed except when I fill the pool and have to pay overage...

[SpecialK]

Average use in USA per person is over 500gallons per day. There are 2 of us and three big dogs. At my last home in CA we were pretty near that figure.

I can't imagine using that much.

[Racer X 69]

Average use in USA per person is over 500gallons per day.

More like 40 to 50 gallons a day, maybe.

500 is even more unbelievable than 100. I'd be looking for a water leak.


I must mention though, that with the increased hand washing going on right now, I could see the higher side of the 40 to 50 number. But people should be washing their hands (with soap) every time they use the bathroom, and before handling food. If we were all doing what we should be before this virus stuff, there really shouldn't be an increase in water consumption.

[swanlefitte]

Between my girlfriend and myself, we use about 60gallons a day. Because of standard fees if we used 500 gallons a day our bill would only go from about $60 a month to $140 a month. Just realized there is little incentive to conserve. The rate doesn't go up until 400 gallons a day. To double our use would cost around $0.53 a day. I was going to get efficient heads but now I won't.

[mkgd1]

I can't imagine using that much.

When I lived in Riverside county, my water bill was never less than $100 per month, with the pool and sprinklers for landscaping, it was more often $200 in the summer.

[mkgd1]

More like 40 to 50 gallons a day, maybe.

500 is even more unbelievable than 100. I'd be looking for a water leak.


I must mention though, that with the increased hand washing going on right now, I could see the higher side of the 40 to 50 number. But people should be washing their hands (with soap) every time they use the bathroom, and before handling food. If we were all doing what we should be before this virus stuff, there really shouldn't be an increase in water consumption.

No leaks, or I'd hear my pump cycling. I was in the water treatment business for the last 30 years before I retired. Check your water bill, you would be surprised how it adds up. Dishwasher, washing machine, shower, toilet flush. My 3 dogs drink about a gallon each per day. The 500 per day was wrong, that was total use for country divided by population so it includes non residential use.

---------- Post added 06-21-20 at 10:39 PM ----------

That's a figure from the non-profit Navajo Water Project,

That is a very interesting website and a good cause. I just made a small donation to the project. I'm considering doing more.

[beholder3]

I would assume any sample data would need to be cleansed for "gardening" and "pool" water usage. If I have a 10 acre garden, a private golf course and an olympic size outdoor swimming pool this might impact numbers a bit...

Without garden und pool water usage I consider any number higher than 25 gallons per person and day very high.

Many places on this earth suffer from badly dropping ground water levels, so excessive use of water feels actually like stealing from our kids and following generations. The accelerating climate change does its own to make this even worse in many areas. Water will be the gold of the future (as it already is in many poor regions).

[Serkevan]

I would assume any sample data would need to be cleansed for "gardening" and "pool" water usage. If I have a 10 acre garden, a private golf course and an olympic size outdoor swimming pool this might impact numbers a bit...

Without garden und pool water usage I consider any number higher than 25 gallons per person and day very high.

Many places on this earth suffer from badly dropping ground water levels, so excessive use of water feels actually like stealing from our kids and following generations. The accelerating climate change does its own to make this even worse in many areas. Water will be the gold of the future (as it already is in many poor regions).

For reference, urban wastewater treatment plants are calculated for 300 l per day and person (so about 80 gallons). This includes any non-industrial use of water, as far as I remember.
Washing machines are a pretty big part of this number.

[Racer X 69]

Check your water bill, you would be surprised how it adds up. Dishwasher, washing machine, shower, toilet flush. My 3 dogs drink about a gallon each per day.

Private well, so no water bill.

Dishwasher only runs once a week.

Laundry is two loads a week.

Toilets are 1.5 liter/flush, and I use the woods except for number two.

Both showers have low flow heads, and we get wet, turn the water off, soap up, then back on to rinse.

We collect rainwater to irrigate the garden and flowerbeds.

Since Zoe died we have no dog to consume water.

Since there is no meter I would estimate our daily use to be around 30 gallons a day.

But I also get that there is little incentive to conserve, and most people are quite cavalier with water as a resource, and waste plenty of it.