Copyright © 2005 NLThomas
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TAHLEQUAH, OK - Some city-dwellers may take purified water running out of an indoor faucet for granted, but not the folks from the rural community of Spade Mountain. These people know the value of clean, drinkable water and what it's like to live without it. The Cherokee Nation recently extended an Adair County water line far enough to reach the homes of 10 Cherokee families who were washing their clothes, cars and dishes with contaminated well water and hauling in bottled water by the gallon to drink and brush their teeth.

"The water was so bad out here that one man's well house actually caught on fire because the water had so much oil and gas mixed with it," said Louis Jennings, an engineer with the Cherokee Nation. "We had to do something. These people haven't had good water in years."

It took 21,000 feet of water line and two booster pumps to get the water to the homes through the trees, mountains and rugged terrain of Adair County. But, it was all worth it to bring clean drinking water to families in need. "Mr. Butler was hauling 1,500 gallons of water to his house a week," Jennings said, pointing to a water tank attached to a trailer on wheels.

"We bought water in town and hauled it out here for four years," said Phoebe Butler, Cherokee Nation tribal citizen who is happy to have a new water line. "The Cherokee Nation has been so good to me. Our water had a lot of gas and stuff in it. You could actually light it on fire and it would burn. Now, we have good clean water."

For more information on Cherokee Nation water and sanitation services call 918-456-0671 (ext.2740).

Related Cherokee Nation contact information:

Mike Miller, Cherokee Nation Director of Communications Phone: 918-456-0671 (ext.2210) Fax: 918-458-5580 E-mail: Communications@cherokee.org Larry Daugherty, Advertising Manager Cherokee Nation - Public Affairs Phone 918-456-0671 (Ex.2324) E-mail: ldaugherty@cherokee.org

Steven Swogger, Agriculture Liaison Natural Resources Department Phone: 918-456-0671 (ext.2546) FAX: 918-458-7673 E-mail: sswogger@cherokee.org Bradley D. Peak, Cherokee Nation Natural Resources Specialist Phone: 918-456-0671 (ex.2843) E-mail: bpeak@cherokee.org