---
kind: "section"
citation: "25 U.S.C. § 1632"
title: "25"
title_heading: "Indians"
number: "1632"
heading: "Safe water and sanitary waste disposal facilities"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/25/1632"
units:
  - "Chapter 18 — Indian Health Care"
  - "Subchapter III — Health Facilities"
---

# §1632. Safe water and sanitary waste disposal facilities

- (a) **Congressional findings—** The Congress hereby finds and declares that—
  - (1) the provision of safe water supply systems and sanitary sewage and solid waste disposal systems is primarily a health consideration and function;
  - (2) [Indian](/usc/25/1603.md?p=13) people suffer an inordinately high incidence of disease, injury, and illness directly attributable to the absence or inadequacy of such systems;
  - (3) the long-term cost to the United States of treating and curing such disease, injury, and illness is substantially greater than the short-term cost of providing such systems and other preventive health measures;
  - (4) many [Indian](/usc/25/1603.md?p=13) homes and communities still lack safe water supply systems and sanitary sewage and solid waste disposal systems; and
  - (5) it is in the interest of the United States, and it is the policy of the United States, that all [Indian](/usc/25/1603.md?p=13) communities and [Indian](/usc/25/1603.md?p=13) homes, new and existing, be provided with safe and adequate water supply systems and sanitary sewage waste disposal systems as soon as possible.
- (b) **Authority; assistance; transfer of funds—**
  - (1) In furtherance of the findings and declarations made in [subsection (a)](#a), Congress reaffirms the primary responsibility and authority of the [Service](/usc/25/1603.md?p=18) to provide the necessary sanitation facilities and [services](/usc/25/1603.md?p=18) as provided in [section 2004a of title 42](/usc/42/2004a.md).
  - (2) The [Secretary](/usc/25/1603.md?p=17), acting through the [Service](/usc/25/1603.md?p=18), is authorized to provide under [section 2004a of title 42](/usc/42/2004a.md)—
    - (A) financial and technical assistance to [Indian tribes](/usc/25/1603.md?p=14) and communities in the establishment, training, and equipping of utility organizations to operate and maintain [Indian](/usc/25/1603.md?p=13) sanitation facilities;
    - (B) ongoing technical assistance and training in the management of utility organizations which operate and maintain sanitation facilities; and
    - (C) operation and maintenance assistance for, and emergency repairs to, tribal sanitation facilities when necessary to avoid a health hazard or to protect the Federal investment in sanitation facilities.
  - (3) Notwithstanding any other provision of law—
    - (A) the [Secretary](/usc/25/1603.md?p=17) of Housing and Urban Affairs is authorized to transfer funds appropriated under the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 ([42 U.S.C. 5301](/usc/42/5301.md), et seq.) to the [Secretary](/usc/25/1603.md?p=17) of Health and Human [Services](/usc/25/1603.md?p=18), and
    - (B) the [Secretary](/usc/25/1603.md?p=17) of Health and Human [Services](/usc/25/1603.md?p=18) is authorized to accept and use such funds for the purpose of providing sanitation facilities and [services](/usc/25/1603.md?p=18) for [Indians](/usc/25/1603.md?p=13) under [section 2004a of title 42](/usc/42/2004a.md).
- (c) **10-year plan—** Beginning in fiscal year 1990, the [Secretary](/usc/25/1603.md?p=17), acting through the [Service](/usc/25/1603.md?p=18), shall develop and begin implementation of a 10-year plan to provide safe water supply and sanitation sewage and solid waste disposal facilities to existing [Indian](/usc/25/1603.md?p=13) homes and communities and to new and renovated [Indian](/usc/25/1603.md?p=13) homes.
- (d) **Tribal capability—** The financial and technical capability of an [Indian tribe](/usc/25/1603.md?p=14) or community to safely operate and maintain a sanitation facility shall not be a prerequisite to the provision or construction of sanitation facilities by the [Secretary](/usc/25/1603.md?p=17).
- (e) **Amount of assistance—**
  - (1) The [Secretary](/usc/25/1603.md?p=17) is authorized to provide financial assistance to [Indian tribes](/usc/25/1603.md?p=14) and communities in an amount equal to the Federal share of the costs of operating, managing, and maintaining the facilities provided under the plan described in [subsection (c)](#c).
  - (2) For the purposes of [paragraph (1)](#e-1), the term “Federal share” means 80 percent of the costs described in [paragraph (1)](#e-1).
  - (3) With respect to [Indian tribes](/usc/25/1603.md?p=14) with fewer than 1,000 enrolled members, the non-Federal portion of the costs of operating, managing, and maintaining such facilities may be provided, in part, through cash donations or in kind property, fairly evaluated.
- (f) **Eligibility of programs administered by Indian tribes—** Programs administered by [Indian tribes](/usc/25/1603.md?p=14) or [tribal organizations](/usc/25/1603.md?p=26) under the authority of the [Indian](/usc/25/1603.md?p=13) Self-Determination Act [[25 U.S.C. 5321](/usc/25/5321.md) et seq.] shall be eligible for—
  - (1) any funds appropriated pursuant to this section, and
  - (2) any funds appropriated for the purpose of providing water supply or sewage disposal [services](/usc/25/1603.md?p=18),

  on an equal basis with programs that are administered directly by the [Service](/usc/25/1603.md?p=18).

- (g) **Annual report; sanitation deficiency levels—**
  - (1) The [Secretary](/usc/25/1603.md?p=17) shall submit to the President, for inclusion in each report required to be transmitted to the Congress under [section 1671 of this title](/usc/25/1671.md), a report which sets forth—
    - (A) the current [Indian](/usc/25/1603.md?p=13) sanitation facility priority system of the [Service](/usc/25/1603.md?p=18);
    - (B) the methodology for determining sanitation deficiencies;
    - (C) the level of sanitation deficiency for each sanitation facilities project of each [Indian tribe](/usc/25/1603.md?p=14) or community;
    - (D) the amount of funds necessary to raise all [Indian tribes](/usc/25/1603.md?p=14) and communities to a level I sanitation deficiency; and
    - (E) the amount of funds necessary to raise all [Indian tribes](/usc/25/1603.md?p=14) and communities to zero sanitation deficiency.
  - (2) In preparing each report required under [paragraph (1)](#g-1) (other than the initial report), the [Secretary](/usc/25/1603.md?p=17) shall consult with [Indian tribes](/usc/25/1603.md?p=14) and [tribal organizations](/usc/25/1603.md?p=26) (including those tribes or [tribal organizations](/usc/25/1603.md?p=26) operating health care programs or facilities under any contract entered into with the [Service](/usc/25/1603.md?p=18) under the [Indian](/usc/25/1603.md?p=13) Self-Determination Act [[25 U.S.C. 5321](/usc/25/5321.md) et seq.]) to determine the sanitation needs of each tribe.
  - (3) The methodology used by the [Secretary](/usc/25/1603.md?p=17) in determining sanitation deficiencies for purposes of [paragraph (1)](#g-1) shall be applied uniformly to all [Indian tribes](/usc/25/1603.md?p=14) and communities.
  - (4) For purposes of this subsection, the sanitation deficiency levels for an [Indian tribe](/usc/25/1603.md?p=14) or community are as follows:
    - (A) level I is an [Indian tribe](/usc/25/1603.md?p=14) or community with a sanitation system—
      - (i) which complies with all applicable water supply and pollution control laws, and
      - (ii) in which the deficiencies relate to routine replacement, repair, or maintenance needs;
    - (B) level II is an [Indian tribe](/usc/25/1603.md?p=14) or community with a sanitation system—
      - (i) which complies with all applicable water supply and pollution control laws, and
      - (ii) in which the deficiencies relate to capital improvements that are necessary to improve the facilities in order to meet the needs of such tribe or community for domestic sanitation facilities;
    - (C) level III is an [Indian tribe](/usc/25/1603.md?p=14) or community with a sanitation system which—
      - (i) has an inadequate or partial water supply and a sewage disposal facility that does not comply with applicable water supply and pollution control laws, or
      - (ii) has no solid waste disposal facility;
    - (D) level IV is an [Indian tribe](/usc/25/1603.md?p=14) or community with a sanitation system which lacks either a safe water supply system or a sewage disposal system; and
    - (E) level V is an [Indian tribe](/usc/25/1603.md?p=14) or community that lacks a safe water supply and a sewage disposal system.
  - (5) For purposes of this subsection, any [Indian tribe](/usc/25/1603.md?p=14) or community that lacks the operation and maintenance capability to enable its sanitation system to meet pollution control laws may not be treated as having a level I or II sanitation deficiency.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 94–437, title III, § 302, Sept. 30, 1976, 90 Stat. 1407; Pub. L. 100–713, title III, § 302, Nov. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 4814; Pub. L. 102–573, title III, §§ 302, 307(b)(1), Oct. 29, 1992, 106 Stat. 4560, 4564.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

The Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, referred to in subsec. (b)(3)(A), is Pub. L. 93–383, Aug. 22, 1974, 88 Stat. 633. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 5301 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, and Tables.

The Indian Self-Determination Act, referred to in subsecs. (f) and (g)(2), is title I of Pub. L. 93–638, Jan. 4, 1975, 88 Stat. 2206, which is classified principally to subchapter I (§ 5321 et seq.) of chapter 46 of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 5301 of this title and Tables.

### Amendments

1992—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 102–573, § 302(1), amended subsec. (e) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (e) read as follows: “The provisions of this section shall not diminish the primary responsibility of the Indian family, community, or tribe to establish, collect, and utilize reasonable user fees, or otherwise set aside funding, for the purpose of operating and maintaining sanitation facilities.”

Subsec. (f)(1). Pub. L. 102–573, § 302(2), substituted “this section” for “subsection (h)”.

Subsec. (g)(1). Pub. L. 102–573, § 302(3)(A), substituted “The Secretary shall submit to the President, for inclusion in each report required to be transmitted to the Congress under section 1671 of this title, a report” for “The Secretary shall submit to the Congress an annual report”.

Subsec. (g)(2) to (6). Pub. L. 102–573, § 302(3)(B), redesignated pars. (3) to (6) as (2) to (5), respectively, and struck out former par. (2) which read as follows: “The first report required under paragraph (1) shall be submitted by no later than the date that is 180 days after November 23, 1988, and, beginning in 1990, each subsequent annual report shall be submitted by the date that is 60 days after the date on which the President submits the budget to the Congress under section 1105 of title 31.”

Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 102–573, § 307(b)(1), struck out subsec. (h) which authorized appropriations to carry out subsec. (b)(2) for fiscal years 1990 to 1992.

1988—Pub. L. 100–713 amended section generally, substituting subsecs. (a) to (h) relating to safe water and sanitary waste disposal facilities for former subsecs. (a) to (c) relating to construction of safe water and sanitary waste disposal facilities.