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Federal Officials Find Contamination In Crow Water System

Crow Nation insignia
Josh Burnham
/
Montana Public Radio
Crow Tribe.

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Federal investigators say tests results on a public water system serving 1,300 residents on Montana's Crow Indian Reservation have indicated fecal material contamination that exceeds safety standards.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Inspector General said in a memo released Thursday that the contamination was found in tests conducted in April and May on the Crow Agency Water System.

EPA officials also issued notices of violation for reservation water systems in Pryor and Wyola after they did not perform required testing for contamination. The two systems combined serve almost 700 residents, three schools and a health clinic.

The problems come as the tribe has been unable to account for tens of millions of dollars from the U.S. government for water system improvements and transportation projects.

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