Water Security & Beyond

Water, food, and economic security for tribal nations.

This project will first address the water quality (agricultural runoff and mining contamination) concerns on the Pine Ridge Reservation. After meeting with the community and conducting stakeholder engagement, a business model will be established to address food and economic security. The project will partner with Agua Inc. and utilize their energy and chemical free ABIS technology to treat the water sources to provide clean water for Pine Ridge.  In addition to providing clean drinking water, I am proposing a 3-3-3 business model for the community to develop a sustainable farming initiative. A third of the products will 1.) be sold outside of the community, 2.) within the community, 3.) donated within the community.      

The ABIS technology used by Agua Inc. is tested and has been used to address water quality concerns in over 200 projects around the world. Agua Inc. helps cities achieve their regulatory requirements and infrastructure goals to provide clean and sustainable water.

This low-technology can be utilized on Pine Ridge to clean up lakes contaminated by agricultural runoff and revitalize the local ecology and remove heavy metals in their water from mining operations that have contaminated their drinking water. Agua Inc. will partner with the community in whatever capacity the tribe wishes.

Although the ABIS technology used by Agua Inc. has been tested and used to address water quality concerns in over 200 projects around the world, this will be a new method for water quality treatment in the U.S. and specifically Pine Ridge.

To my knowledge, the addition of a 3-3-3 sustainable business model to address food and economic security for Pine Ridge will also be a new concept that will provide a truly positive impact for the community.

The ABIS technology used by Agua Inc. is energy and chemical free. For this reason, Agua Inc.'s system is generally 50% of the initial cost of a modern water treatment facility. 

Additionally, since Pine Ridge is not only one of the poorest counties in the nation, but it “has never left the list of the 10 poorest counties.”Melissa Carnicle and Agua Inc. are dedicated to finding and applying to funding opportunities on behalf of Pine Ridge. 

The project's size will depend on the amount of funding acquired by Melissa Carnicle and Agua Inc. However, even if this project only cleans up one lake it will benefit the entire Pine Ridge Reservation, a population around 20,000. Eventually, the team aims to expand the project to include additional lakes and potentially deliver clean water to the entire Pine Ridge Reservation, the Oglala Sioux Tribe, and the Navajo Nation.

Melissa Carnicle has established contact with a trusted business development consultant that works with the Oglala Sioux Tribe, Pine Ridge, and the Navajo Nation. We will be meeting with tribal leaders and conducting stakeholder engagement by 1) discussing the current state of water on the reservation, 2) propose how Agua Inc. can address their water quality concerns, and 3) discuss a 3-3-3 sustainable business model.

After the stakeholder engagement process, the strategic plan will be outlined and executed. Agua Inc. has been able to complete projects within a year/two depending on the size and scale of the projects.

Although this project began in February 2019, Melissa Carnicle has established contact with a trusted business development consultant and we are currently establishing a time to meet (April-May, 2019) with tribal leaders of Pine Ridge and the Navajo Nation to discuss how the team can better serve them.

Additionally, Melissa has been in close contact with Pedro Delgado, the founder, and president of Agua Inc. and their team. They have begun work on project proposals specifically for the Pine Ridge and the Navajo Nation.

I'm applying to Solve because Pine Ridge is not only one of the poorest counties in the nation, but it “has never left the list of the 10 poorest counties.” Melissa Carnicle and Agua Inc. are dedicated to finding and applying to funding opportunities on behalf of Pine Ridge. We believe Solve can help gain the funding and media attention necessary for this project to be successful and provide clean water to the Pine Ridge Reservation. 

Melissa Carnicle has been in close contact with Pedro Delgado, the founder, and president of Agua Inc. and their team. They have begun work on project proposals specifically for the Pine Ridge and the Navajo Nation. Specifically, we have outlined the contaminants in their water and verified that the ABIS technology used by Agua Inc. is capable of addressing their water quality concerns.

Melissa Carnicle a student, Masters of the Environment (MENV) graduate degree program, Environmental Policy specialization, University of Colorado Boulder; and the Vice President of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) Colorado Professional Chapter.