Why was the "Our Water" Toolkit created?
The “Our Water” Toolkit was created as a resource for American Indian and Alaska Native communities who operate and manage our water systems. As members of these communities, we have unique control over our water - often collecting, treating and managing the distribution of this resource locally. With this control comes great responsibility and opportunity to promote education, behaviors and policies that maximize the health benefits of water and ensure that our water will continue to sustain future generations.
We face unique barriers to water system sustainability as well. We often inherit complex systems with little opportunity to participate in their design and construction and limited on-the-job training in their operation. Some of our communities are geographically isolated which may also isolate us from materials, resources, training opportunities and technical support. Our systems are smaller than the average municipal system, serving fewer households and therefore generating less revenue through water bills.
Managing any operation has its challenges, but managing and operating water systems is especially complex. Those of us involved are often learning small utility management, budgeting, public outreach, educational programming, specialized equipment maintenance, water chemistry, sampling, regulatory standard compliance and more as we go! Fortunately, for each obstacle we encounter or goal that we set, there is likely another tribal community who has already successfully tackled a similar scenario. We can learn from their experience.
The purpose of the “Our Water” Toolkit is:
We face unique barriers to water system sustainability as well. We often inherit complex systems with little opportunity to participate in their design and construction and limited on-the-job training in their operation. Some of our communities are geographically isolated which may also isolate us from materials, resources, training opportunities and technical support. Our systems are smaller than the average municipal system, serving fewer households and therefore generating less revenue through water bills.
Managing any operation has its challenges, but managing and operating water systems is especially complex. Those of us involved are often learning small utility management, budgeting, public outreach, educational programming, specialized equipment maintenance, water chemistry, sampling, regulatory standard compliance and more as we go! Fortunately, for each obstacle we encounter or goal that we set, there is likely another tribal community who has already successfully tackled a similar scenario. We can learn from their experience.
The purpose of the “Our Water” Toolkit is:
- To connect us with relevant materials: educational materials, fact sheets, formative assessment guides, behavior change guides, water system management models, examples of tribal water system ordinances and policies and more.
- To connect us with other tribes and organizations doing great things in the world of tribal water such as the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, the Native American Water Masters Association and Alaska Rural Utility Collaborative that facilitate peer-to-peer sharing or offer training opportunities and technical support.
- To support us as we lead initiatives for change in our own communities; helping us to start critical conversations and identify concrete actions to take in our efforts to improve sustainability of our community water systems and maximize the benefits of optimal water use.
Who uses the Toolkit?
Communities may engage with the toolkit for a variety of reasons. Maybe we have a concern: our water isn’t meeting regulatory standards or we’ve had loss of water or sewer service because some component of the system has failed or frozen. Maybe we have a general desire for improvement or to solidify a long term plan for our water system. This toolkit will provide resources for addressing many specific issues commonly encountered amongst community water systems, but will also provide general action planning resources that will help us build our capacity to address any issues that may arise.
Anyone involved with or personally affected by a community water system may lead the kind of initiatives that this toolkit is meant to support. The resources within are presented in sections geared toward the three main audiences engaged with water systems; the customers, the water utility staff and community leadership and government. Due to the complexity and reach of many community water concerns, effective initiatives will often require a collaboration of all three audiences.
Anyone involved with or personally affected by a community water system may lead the kind of initiatives that this toolkit is meant to support. The resources within are presented in sections geared toward the three main audiences engaged with water systems; the customers, the water utility staff and community leadership and government. Due to the complexity and reach of many community water concerns, effective initiatives will often require a collaboration of all three audiences.
What is our approach to finding solutions?
During the development of the “Our Water” Toolkit, we at the National Tribal Water Center have done our best to take a holistic approach in identifying solutions to common goals and concerns. We believe that our individual health determines the health of our communities and that our own physical, mental and spiritual health is influenced by many factors such as our genetics and biology, our behavior, our culture, family and community networks, our environments and the health services available to us. Water is at the foundation of each of these influencing factors, or determinants, of health.
Determinant of Health |
Example of Water’s Influence on each Determinant of Health |
Genetics and biology |
Water supports the healthy expression of our genes and our biological functioning. |
Behaviors |
When our behavior includes healthy water practices such as drinking, hand-washing, and cleaning, our overall health improves. |
Culture, family, and community networks |
Traditional practices connected to water such as ceremonies, subsistence activities, recreational activities, and gathering water for elders and family, bring our family and community together to improve health. |
Living, working and environmental conditions |
A healthy home and workplace includes access to safe, reliable water. Healthy environmental conditions provide clean water. |
Available health services and policies |
Policies and services that protect water quality and our access to clean water help keep our communities healthy. |