Water Supply Inadequacies Tied to Coronavirus Infection in the Navajo Nation

On May 24, the Navajo Nation had 4,658 reported cases and 165 deaths in a population of 173,000—more even than New York City—while local organizers scrambled to find the water to cover the need during the pandemic.

2 minute read

June 3, 2020, 7:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


U.S. Department of the Interior

Autumn's Memories / Shutterstock

Heather Hansman reports on the pre-existing public health crisis that has exacerbated the Covid-19 pandemic on Navajo lands that spans the Four Corners region of the Southwest United States, where the Navajo Nation is experiencing the highest rates of infection in the country

Hansmen ties access to water in the Navajo Nation to the tragic outcomes of the COVID-19 public health crisis, and a long-standing history of neglect: 

The Navajo Nation is particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus because it lacks sufficient resources and infrastructure that most of the U.S. takes for granted: roads, electricity, internet to help spread public-health information, and hospitals. The crisis has been exacerbated by tight living quarters, and there are high rates of health issues, like asthma, cancer, and cardiovascular disease, among residents. All of those problems are tied on some level to federal neglect or exclusion from resources and stalled or missing funding. Most recently, $600 million in COVID-19 relief aid was delayed by more than a month; the money finally arrived in early May. 

Hansen details that history of neglect for the water infrastructure of the Navajo Nation from the U.S. Constitution through the 1908 Winters Doctrine to the Colorado River Compact to the 1920s and finally to the CARES Act of 2020, but the water supply crisis facing the Navajo Nation is not isolated to the Four Corners region. According to Hansmen, "there are currently 574 federally recognized tribes in the U.S., and as of 2019, only 40 of them have reached water-rights settlements with the government."

Cindy Howe, the primary source in the article and a project manager for the Navajo Water Project, offers several prescriptions for the crisis: additional central water collection locations, bigger storage tanks, and universal access to running water.

Thursday, May 28, 2020 in Outside

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

Sign in front of building for seior services center in St. Petersburg, Fl.

Florida Seniors Face Rising Homelessness Risk

High housing costs are pushing more seniors, many of them on a fixed income, into homelessness.

1 hour ago - WESH

Boston Red Line train with skyline in background.

Massachusetts Budget Helps Close MBTA Budget Gap

The budget signed by Gov. Maura Healey includes $470 million in MBTA funding for the next fiscal year.

2 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive

View down center of street in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukee Launches Vision Zero Plan

Seven years after the city signed its Complete Streets Policy, the city is doubling down on its efforts to eliminate traffic deaths.

3 hours ago - Urban Milwaukee

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA