Truckloads of drinking water are headed to the Navajo Nation where a mine spill upstream of the San Juan River has residents worried about contamination.
St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance is donating 200,000 bottles of water to Navajo communities. The shipment is expected to arrive Friday.
Navajo Nation Council Speaker LoRenzo Bates says the donations will help alleviate stress in finding potable water for residents.
The organization, Partnership With Native Americans, is planning to deliver 20 pallets of water to Monument Valley, Mexican Hat and Halchita in the Utah portion of the reservation on Monday.
The Navajo Tribal Utility Authority has stopped pumping groundwater for the water system serving Mexican Hat. Crews are hauling water from 30 miles away to top off water tanks so customers aren't cut off.