WESTWATER, Utah — Just three years ago, the small, southeastern Utah community of Westwater celebrated the arrival of electricity; on Friday, they finally enjoyed running water.
Utah Lt. Governor Deidre Henderson and Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren, were on hand to be a part of the historic moment decades in the making.
"It's hard to understand why a community so close to a city could get forgotten," said Henderson.
Westwater is a Navajo Nation community, but not directly a part of the tribe, and thus part of the State of Utah, complicating development projects for decades.
"As president, my priority has always been water, water, water," said Navajo Nation President Nygren. "Even though it seems so close, but to really, the rules and the things that governments sometimes make so difficult, but we overcome it, and I look forward to all the other projects that we will continue to work on."
"It's only a few homes, it only affects a few families. That sort of thinking is unacceptable, because if we're going to discount a few people, what does that say about us?" asked Henderson. "Overlooking Westwater for as long as the state did was a mistake, but the state couldn't do it alone - the Navajo Nation was an incredible partner."
Lorraine Holiday grew up in the area, and now her children and grandchildren will have what she never did growing up.
"I didn't have to say, go check the water level, go see where the water is at," Holiday shared on day one of having running water.
Holiday's husband died six years ago and never got to see the miraculous event.
"He would be happy."
But for two Westwater residents, Gladys and Albert Cly, the celebration remains on hold as they still don't have running water in their home.
"You're holding a carrot in front of our faces and we're trying to catch the carrot, and the further you go and you keep telling us, this is going to be done, I says you guys have been lying to us for the last ten years," Gladys said.
The Cly's have been told there's still more digging and construction work to be done, and that they could receive water in a couple of weeks. Albert grew up in the community and is waiting for that day.
"It's beautiful and nice to have water and electricity in the houses where my community here," he said. "It makes me happy."
For now, the couple simply wishes for things that everyone else gets to have.
"If we really get the water," said Gladys, "the first thing I'm going to do is take a long shower."
