US Indian bureau violates Crow Agency water repairs order

By MATTHEW BROWN Associated Press

Federal officials say the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs violated an order to repair a public water supply system on the Crow Indian Reservation in southeastern Montana.

Environmental Protection Agency officials said in a Jan. 14 letter obtained by The Associated Press that the bureau has repeatedly missed deadlines to complete repairs.

The water supply system serves about 1,300 people in Crow Agency. In March, a water main line broke, prompting a public advisory to boil water or use alternate supplies as a precaution.

An EPA spokeswoman says the remaining repairs are preventative and there is no immediate public health emergency.