Need To Clarify IHS Responsibilities for Maintaining Indian Water and Sanitation Facilities

Since 1959, the Indian Health Service (IHS) has spent about $490 million to construct or improve Indian water and sanitation facilities primarily to support Indian housing programs administered by other federal agencies. Legislation enacted in 1959 authorized IHS to transfer operating and maintenance responsibility of these facilities to Indian tribes or communities. As part of a survey conducted of the IHS water and sanitation facilities construction program, seven Indian reservations and nine Alaska Native communities were visited to observe the water and sanitation systems or system components that were not operating effectively.