Dig deep [CA]
2021 giving while living regional grant: $10,000
DigDeep, based in Los Angeles, CA, is working to ensure that all people have access to a sufficient quantity of safe, accessible, affordable water of good quality, and that they understand and care for their water resources.
DigDeep allocated their $10,000 Foundation GWL Grant to their water access programs in Navajo Nation, Appalachia, and Texas “Colonias”.
NBC Nightly News went to McDowell County, WV to explore DigDeep’s work to bring clean, running water to the 2.2 million Americans who don’t have a tap or a toilet at home.
Navajo Water Project
More than 30 percent of residents on the Navajo Nation lack access to clean running water in their homes. The COVID-19 pandemic heightened the urgency of addressing this situation. Infection and mortality rates have been higher on the Nation than the national average, in part because without running water the Navajo were not able to wash their hands or bodies and were forced to break social distancing to haul or purchase water.
We distributed 262,000 gallons of bottled water to about 30,000 people across the Navajo Nation in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah through a network of local partners. We helped out-of-work families pay their water and electric bills so that their services were not interrupted and that they did not fall behind on payments.
Because it was not safe for staff or household members to enter homes during the pandemic, we put installation of our Home Water Systems on hold. As an alternative, we have purchased, distributed and filled more 275-gallon emergency water tanks at homes without services. To date, they have installed more than 1,300 such tanks.
When the pandemic hit, DigDeep had to learn how to serve the people of Navajo Mountain without putting anyone at risk (installation of our home water systems required going into homes), so they began installing these outdoor tanks. They're full of potable drinking water, and DigDeep refills them every few weeks.
Appalachia Water Project
According to the Economic Innovation Group’s Distressed Community Index, McDowell County in West Virginia has the highest level of distress of any county in the United States, with an index value of 100 on a scale of 0 (most prosperous) to 100 (most distressed).
McDowell County has dealt with inadequate, inconsistent and non-existent water access for years. As coal companies that historically paid for and operated town water systems left the area, towns are left with aging infrastructure that is breaking down. Many homes in McDowell County have never had access to safe running water, but today the number of families who have lost their previously secure access to water is growing.
DigDeep is continuing to increase water access for the region by partnering with local public service districts, nonprofits, communities and government agencies to identify communities with the most urgent water needs and provide solutions that fit the resources and unique situations of each community. With Woodard & Curran Foundation support and working with McDowell County Public Service District (PSD), DigDeep identified shovel-ready projects. In addition to carrying out meter-to-home water line replacement for up to 400 homes with aged pipelines (starting with 150 homes in 2021, Phase 1 of the project), DigDeep is also partnering with Coalfield Development, which trains unemployed people in Appalachia in new workforce skills, including plumbing.
Residents of McDowell County, WV, have to haul water from streams, creeks, and abandoned mine shafts. It's stressful and dangerous—because sometimes that water can cause illness and even death.
“People think that water is just... something. No, it’s everything. If you don’t have it, you’re at a total loss.
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Texas “colonias” water project
DigDeep’s Colonias Water Project will launch in Cochran colonia, a small subdivision consisting of 72 lots located just southeast of El Paso, where families are in need of running water. Piped water is less than a half mile away, as Cochran exists in a “donut hole” surrounded by retail complexes and gated communities that already have infrastructure and services. Families in Cochran are currently forced to buy bottled water, purchase non-potable water at an astronomical $250 per month, or haul water from nearby wells, many of which are unregulated and may be contaminated. This is an expensive (and often dangerous) effort for the average household, making just $28,000 a year. With Woodard & Curran Foundation support, DigDeep has worked in Cochran and other El Paso colonias over the last 18 months, meeting with residents, housing nonprofits, and county officials to innovate a new model for public-private partnership with the potential to solve Cochran’s water problem, unlock transformative housing grants, and most importantly, build a model to bring water and sanitation to Cochran that can be replicated in other colonias along the border.
Thank you to Matthew Valentine, who works for Woodard & Curran, Inc. in Pittsburgh, PA, for nominating DigDeep for a Foundation Giving While Living Regional Grant.