Navajo Water Project

On September 11, 2020, the Navajo and Hopi nations faced severe water shortages amid the pandemic, with over 10,000 COVID-19 cases and 571 deaths. About one-third of Navajo households lacked indoor plumbing and relied on water hauled by water-haulers who navigated miles of dirt roads in trucks often struggling with the rough terrain.

The extended lockdown made finding work nearly impossible, and the area had not seen rain in two months, worsening the crisis. George McGraw of DigDeep highlighted the contrast between his life surrounded by water and the struggles of those without it. DigDeep works to remedy these issues by providing essential water deliveries and improving infrastructure.

For these inhabitants, to move away would mean losing their traditional way of life and connection to the land. The delivered water helped them stay in their silent, bone-dry land a little longer.