Water crisis in Dilkon
State of emergency declared in Western Navajo community

Edison Begay, right, of the Navajo Tribal Utility Authoriy helps Gerome Begay fill his water barrels from a large tanker in Dilkon Tuesday. The Navajo Nation Department of Emergency Management sent tankers throughout the region to help relieve a water shortage. — © 2009 Gallup Independent / Cable Hoover

Copyright © 2009
Gallup Independent
By Kathy Helms
Diné Bureau

DILKON — A series of events has led Dilkon Chapter to declare a state of emergency because of a critical water shortage, and several other communities tied into the same water system are expected to follow suit.

Navajo Nation Emergency Management set up a command center Tuesday at Dilkon Chapter House, while Dilkon Police Department was designated as a staging area.

At an emergency meeting Tuesday morning, Tony Nez, water/wastewater foreman for Navajo Tribal Utility Authority’s Dilkon District, said many factors prompted the water crisis, including extreme heat for the past three weeks that contributed to high water demand and strained NTUA’s limited water resources.

Local businesses also became part of the problem, he said, in particular, Brimhall Sand and Gravel.

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