| ASHLEY THACKER, BA (Navajo/Diné), Community Principal Investigator & Senior Research Program Supervisor, Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health &

| TAISHIANA TSOSIE, BA (Navajo/Diné), Data Collector & Research Assistant, Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health

Access to safe, reliable, and affordable water is fundamental to health, wellbeing, culture, and dignity. Indigenous communities across the United States, including the Navajo Nation, lack this fundamental human right.
 
Water access on the Navajo Nation is complex and not well understood. The number of households that lack running water or experience other water access challenges are inconsistently reported and estimates vary significantly. This lack of data means that water-related resources and investments will likely continue to underserve or miss those experiencing water-related burdens.
 
This pilot research study was developed in direct response to the significant water access data gap on the Navajo Nation, and the continued call for accurate, up-to-date data that can inform future policies and investments that are culturally relevant and sustainable. Diné Household Water Survey (DHWS) is a cross-sectional study employing a multi-stage population-based household sampling methodology with a representative sample of households within the Fort Defiance Agency of the Navajo Nation. The culturally tailored, comprehensive survey measures multiple water use behaviors, self-reported water quality, quantity, and reliability experiences, water insecurity, and captures preferences for water access solutions at the household level. Drinking water quality is also tested with a subset of households for biological, metal, and chemical contaminants to assess water safety at the point of consumption.
 
Findings from this first-ever comprehensive water needs assessment with Diné households and progress toward scaling this research to the entire Navajo Nation will be presented.