NAVAJO-GALLUP 

WATER SUPPLY PROJECT

NEWSLETTER

February 2024

COMMUNITY

Navajo Nation COVID19 Information:

Website: https://

ndoh.navajo-nsn.gov/

covid-19

Ph. 928-871-6350

Hotline: 928-871-7014

Email: nndoh@navajonsn.gov

GET IN TOUCH

Questions/Comments:

Becky Begay

Navajo Outreach 

Coordinator

Ph. 505-408-8516

bbegay@usbr.gov

Contact us:

Bureau of Reclamation

Four Corners 

Construction Office

Ph. 505-324-5000

1235 La Plata Highway

Farmington, NM 87401 

If you would like to learn more, visit our website at:

https://www.usbr.gov/uc/progact/navajo-gallup/
SAFE WATER FOR ALL: A Deeper Dive into Water Quality for the Navajo-Gallup 

Water Supply Project

Continued from Page 1.

By Steve Dundorf, P.E. 

Environmental Engineer Bureau 

of Reclamation 

In the previous Navajo-Gallup 

Water Supply Project (NGWSP) 

newsletter, the Four Corners 

Construction Office discussed the 

quality of the Project’s water 

supply and the many steps taken 

to ensure the delivery of safe 

drinking water to all users. This 

month, I will take a deeper dive 

into the processes and data that 

were used to inform the San Juan 

Lateral design. 

As a professional engineer (P.E.) 

charged with overseeing the water 

treatment design and construction 

on the NGWSP, it is my 

responsibility to ensure the water 

you drink will be as clean as 

possible and meet all Federal, 

Navajo Nation, and State water 

quality regulations. In the design 

of any water treatment system, it 

is critical to study the watershed 

and look at anything that could 

contribute contamination to the 

water supply including naturally 

occurring minerals, water 

discharges from upstream towns, 

water runoff from farms or 

industry, mine discharges, and in 

the case of the Frank Chee 

Willetto Reservoir, impacts from 

the neighboring powerplant. 

Additionally, we want to obtain as 

much water quality data as 

possible for the source water, 

which includes the reservoir and 

the San Juan River that is pumped 

to the reservoir. 

Drinking Water Regulations 

To understand water quality, we 

must first understand a little about 

water quality regulations which are 

established by the U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency 

(USEPA) and the Navajo Nation 

EPA (NNEPA) under the Safe 

Drinking Water Act. 

Reservoir

• More than 30,000 water quality data points

• No regulatory concerns for dissolved metals

• PFAS & PFOA concentrations are below detection

limits or MCL Hazard Index

River

• More than 8,000 water quality data

points

• No regulatory concerns for dissolved

metals

Higher water quality in 

reservoir than river

Examples include:

• 99% Reduction in Total

Suspended Solids

• 99% Reduction in

Aluminum (total)

• 96% Reduction in

Manganese (total)

• 91% Reduction in

Chromium (total)

2
SAFE WATER FOR ALL: A Deeper Dive into Water Quality for the Navajo-Gallup 

Water Supply Project

Continued from Page 2

Primary drinking water 

standards are the most important 

as these relate to public health 

and are legally enforceable. We 

need our treated water quality to 

be below these standards and the 

water treatment process robust 

enough to provide required 

treatment capabilities.

There are also Secondary 

drinking water standards which 

are non-enforceable guidelines 

regulating contaminants that may 

cause aesthetic effects (such as 

taste, odor, color), cosmetic effects 

(such as skin or tooth 

discoloration), or technical effects 

(such as increased corrosion or 

making treatment more 

expensive). We have tested the 

water supply for both primary and 

secondary drinking water 

standards.

Extensive Sampling & Overall 

Results 

Over the course of 4 years, 

Reclamation, working in 

coordination with the U.S. 

Geological Survey, obtained more 

than 8,000 water quality data 

points from the San Juan River 

and over 30,000 data points from 

the reservoir, which included 

testing of sediment from the 

bottom of the reservoir. The result 

from this rigorous sampling and 

testing revealed no concerns 

about the water quality of the San 

Juan River or the Frank Chee 

Willetto Reservoir. 

San Juan River 

Primary regulated metals (e.g., 

chromium), are often naturally 

occurring but concentrations can 

increase through historic mining 

activities. Their presence is 

common in many waters in the 

western U.S., including the San 

Juan River. Fortunately, these 

metals are mostly in solid form 

and will settle out prior to 

treatment; they can also be easily 

removed by water treatment. 

Primary regulated metals in 

dissolved form, which are more 

difficult to treat, all meet the 

drinking water standards. 

The San Juan River can change 

from clear water to very muddy 

during upstream rain events. This 

“mud” is suspended sediment 

which can cause operational and 

treatment concerns. Fortunately, 

this can be controlled by shutting 

down the reservoir intake during 

storm events. Any sediment that 

does make it to the reservoir 

settles to the bottom of the 

reservoir. The combination of 

intake shutdowns and reservoir 

settling is the reason behind the 

following significant reductions 

between the San Juan River and 

the reservoir: 99% reduction in 

total suspended solids, a 99% 

reduction in total aluminum, a 

96% reduction in total manganese, 

and a 91% reduction in total 

chromium.

3
SAFE WATER FOR ALL: A Deeper Dive into Water Quality for the Navajo-Gallup 

Water Supply Project

Continued from Page 3

Frank Chee Willetto Reservoir 

The Frank Chee Willetto Reservoir 

serves as a reliable source of water 

when we need to shutdown the 

river intake pumps.

Water column samples were 

collected at many different 

locations and water depths to 

discern any changes in water 

quality through the reservoir at 

different times of the year. 

Sediment core samples were 

collected at four locations across 

the reservoir and put through the 

harshest of testing conditions. The 

result of all this sampling and 

testing was a high level of 

confidence that the powerplant 

had no lasting impact on the 

reservoir and water quality, and 

the reservoir water is safe to drink 

after standard water treatment. 

Safe Water

It is Reclamation’s responsibility to 

thoroughly investigate any 

potential concerns with the water 

supply, and to develop solutions if 

issues are found. Following our 

extensive water quality testing, we 

are not concerned about 

regulated contaminants such as 

metals, radionuclides, microbial 

contaminants, organic chemicals, 

or for perfluoroalkyl and 

polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) 

concentrations based on 

forthcoming EPA regulations in 

the NGWSP water supply. For 

more information on PFAS, visit 

www.EPA.gov/pfas.

We will continue to monitor 

elements that are regulated under 

primary and secondary drinking 

water standards, especially if 

found at elevated concentrations . 

Based on our source water 

assessment, manganese and 

aluminum may require additional 

treatment. As required for all 

surface waters, natural organic 

material will also be removed 

through our robust water 

treatment system, which is capable 

of addressing any of these 

concerns. The safety of our water 

users is our top priority. We have 

the utmost confidence in the 

water quality and the water 

treatment process on the NGWSP. 

We will continue to be available to 

discuss or address any questions 

you may have on water quality 

and treatment. Please contact 

Becky Begay at bbegay@usbr.gov

and your questions will be 

directed to the appropriate office 

for response. 

See page 7 for additional information 

and statistics regarding the water 

testing at the San Juan River and 

Frank Chee Willetto Reservoir. 

Helpful links

Drinking water standards:

• www.epa.gov/ground-waterand-drinking-water/nationalprimary-drinking-waterregulations

• www.epa.gov/sdwa/secondary

-drinking-water-standardsguidance-nuisance-chemicals

• https://

navajopublicwater.navajonsn.gov/NNPDWA
Why is NGWSP an Important Project to the Navajo Chapters?

By Hubert (Chico) Quintana, 

Civil Engineer, Bureau of 

Reclamation

The Navajo Gallup Water Supply 

Project is designed to deliver safe, 

clean, and reliable drinking water 

to the 43 Navajo chapters within 

the Project Service Area in western 

New Mexico and the Window 

Rock and Fort Defiance area in 

east-central Arizona. The future 

delivery of a drinking water supply 

throughout this portion of the 

reservation poses a great 

opportunity for the communities 

to plan for many developments 

and improvements that have not 

been possible with limited water 

sources. Through an ongoing 

planning outreach work group, 

Reclamation communicates 

construction updates and plans 

with chapters along NM 491 who 

will receive treated water from the 

San Juan Lateral of the NGWSP. 

The chapters are excited about 

development and shared some of 

their plans for 2028 and 2029 

when water is scheduled to reach 

their community. 

Twin Lakes Chapter Coordinator 

Juanita Tom said her chapter plans 

to expand the current service area 

and extend the waterline out 

further to provide water to more 

community residents. She also 

mentioned that the chapter plans 

to look into additional housing, 

depending on the availability of 

funding from the American Rescue 

Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) and 

Indian Health Services (IHS).

Generally, the development plans 

of the Mexican Springs community 

are focused on the improvement 

of living conditions. Mexican 

Springs Chapter Coordinator 

Christine Sam said that her 

community plans to find funding 

to build a new community center 

which will host future Chapter 

meetings and community events. 

The community would like to 

provide more housing through the 

Navajo Housing Authority (NHA), 

however, this will require more 

area residents to apply for the 

NHA housing to allow more 

consideration for the funding of 

such projects. The NGWSP would 

be able to supply the water 

necessary for these larger housing 

projects. 

5
Why is NGWSP an Important Project to the Navajo Chapters?

Continued from Page 5

The Naschitti Chapter has plans 

for a new multipurpose facility, 

and an economic development 

corridor filled with business 

buildings. Naschitti Chapter 

Manager Carissa Wood also 

mentioned that their chapter plans 

to pursue the possibility of future 

NHA Housing Projects for the 

community. 

Sanostee Chapter Coordinator 

Dexter Begay shared plans to 

secure a 100-acre plot of land 

from the Navajo Nation for the 

construction of a Chapter 

compound with a new community 

multipurpose building, Chapter 

house, and possibly a new 

cemetery. There was also mention 

of a new Chapter building. The 

Sanostee Chapter building 

currently is approximately 8.8 

miles west of Hwy 491. The new 

compound will be located next to 

Hwy 491 near its intersection with 

Route 34 within the Sanostee 

Chapter area.

As the 2029 completion date for 

NGWSP nears, the various plans 

for community development ideas 

will continue to approach reality. 

Community members and 

Reclamation look forward to 

hearing more about these and 

other exciting opportunities 

afforded by clean and reliable 

drinking water access to Navajo 

Nation communities. 

Faces of NGWSP

Yá'át'ééh, my name is Kristin Bowen, and I am the 

environmental and cultural group chief in the Bureau 

of Reclamation’s Western Colorado Area Office. I 

grew up in multiple places as my father was in the 

U.S. Air Force, but I consider myself from Montana. I 

now live in Bayfield, Colorado with my two children.

I received my master’s degree in anthropology from 

the University of Montana, and previously I was an 

archaeologist working for other federal agencies in 

Colorado, New Mexico, Montana, and Nevada. In my 

current position I manage a team of staff that provide 

the environmental and cultural resource compliance 

for the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project.

Reclamation archaeologists, environmental 

specialists, and design engineers work together to 

address affects to resources important to the Navajo 

Nation. Resources such as traditional cultural 

properties are avoided as much as possible through 

the redesign of the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply 

Project’s features. I find the work my team and I do to 

be extremely rewarding as we do our part to bring 

water to people who need it.

Community Meetings

• Project Construction Committee (PCC)

Location: El Moro Event Center, Gallup, NM

April 25, 2024

9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

• Beacon Bisti/N9-BBN9 Meeting

Location: Ojo Encino Chapter House

March 6, 2024

10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

6
SAFE WATER FOR ALL: A Deeper Dive into Water Quality for the Navajo-Gallup 

Water Supply Project

Continued from Page 4

If you appreciate numbers and statistics, here are a few:

San Juan River 8472 data points take in the San Juan River between Fruitland Bridge 

and the Hogback Diversion.

3 sampling events for PFAS testing for 19 compounds

Frank Chee Willetto Reservoir 

water

28,000+ data points collected at different depths including: temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, specific conductivity, and turbidity

Frank Chee Willetto Reservoir 

sediment

40 core samples analyzing the elemental chemistry for sediment

245 organic contaminant data points for sediment cores including: Total 

Oil and Grease, Organochlorine Pesticides, Polychlorinated Biphenyls, 

PFAS, and volatile organic compounds

5 samples analyzing the elemental chemistry for sediment pore water

% Reductions from River to Reservoir managed through both 

shutting down the reservoir intake 

during periods of high suspended 

sediment (muddy water) and 

through natural settling in the reservoir. Frank Chee Willetto Reservoir provides significant pretreatment (as shown to the right) 

prior to the water treatment plant.

General Water Quality Parameters or Constituents with Secondary 

Regulated Concentrations

Total Organic Carbon: 57.1%

Color (dissolved) 53.5%

Total Suspended Solids: 99.7%

Aluminum (total): 99.4%, (dissolved): 62.2%

Iron (total): 98.5%, (dissolved): 70.8%

Manganese (total): 96.5%

Nickel (total): 84.9%

Strontium (total): 16.7%

Metals with Regulated Concentrations

Cobalt (dissolved): 35.8%

Arsenic (total): 75.5%

Barium (total): 82.6%

Beryllium (total): 77.8%

Chromium (total): 91.6%

Copper (total): 95.6%

Lead (total): 97.8%

Selenium (total): 21.2%

Nitrate: 52.7%

Radionuclides with Regulated Concentrations

Radium-228: 28.3%

Gross Alpha: 70.9%

Uranium: 53.5%

Microbial Contaminants with Regulated Concentrations

Coliforms (Total): 75.6%, (Fecal): 90.5%

E. Coli: 91.9%