The Tribal Water Systems is a tribal based water and wastewater training and assistance
program initiated by the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc., the U. S. EPA, Region 9,
and the Indian Health Service to address the needs of tribes.
The purpose of the Tribal Water Certification Program is to train tribal staff to
effectively meet the health and safety needs of tribal community members. This
certification program provides a system wherein persons responsible for the production,
treatment and distribution of drinking water for public consumption, and collection and
treatment of wastewater, may be examined and rated to demonstrate his/her level of
competency in operating and maintaining tribal facilities.
The Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc. continues to meet a basic need of Indian
communities for training and technical assistance in water and wastewater systems
development and is the largest non-profit American Indian organization offering
certification in water distribution, water treatment, wastewater collection, and small
systems wastewater treatment-lagoon certification.
Since 1983, the ITCA has provided technical assistance to tribes to improve water and
wastewater regulatory compliance by tribal utilities in regards to the Safe Drinking
Water Act (SDWA), the Clean Water Act (CWA), and to improve and protect the health and
safety of their public constituents. ITCA also coordinates with the State of Arizona
Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), particularly the Operator Certification
Program for water and wastewater operators. The State Certification Program has been
the only existing certification mechanism to confirm credentials and validate
experience of tribal water operators. While tribal operators may continue to pursue
state certification, operators who are predominately working only on tribal lands have
benefited and will continue to benefit from the Tribal Certification Program. The ITCA,
through the administration of the Tribal Certification Program, ensures that tribal
water and wastewater operators are provided with training and certification to assist
them in meeting the requirements necessary to perform their jobs in a competent and
professional manner. The anticipated result is the improved operation and maintenance
of tribal water and wastewater systems that promotes the health and safety of the
public.
