Heart of New Mexico: The Water Train

THOREAU, N.M. – Thoreau is home to fewer than 3,000 people. Many of them, and those that live on the surrounding Navajo Nation, know the struggle for water.

“There’s an existential crisis for water out here,” said Chris Halter, executive director of St. Bonaventure Indian Mission School. “We have food pantries, we have mental health services for people, but I think the most amazing thing we do is provide water.”

For years, they have provided water access for people and have been the source of water for Darlene Arviso’s water deliveries.

“They’re my people, so they need me,” Arviso, dubbed the Water Lady, said. She has been delivering water to homes on the Navajo Nation for 18 years. “They’ll be happy to see me.”

A ‘loco’ idea

The well and water tank at St. Bonaventure Indian Mission School had to come offline for mandatory maintenance and upgrades last year. It left the community in dire need of solutions. Chris Halter got with his brother, Drew, to brainstorm. The idea for Jacob’s Well was born.

“I think the idea still seems a little bit… loco,” Chris said.

Drew, familiar with transporting goods via rail and wondered if it’d be viable to move potable water to the water-starved west.

“It just kind of all came together at once,” Drew said.

Jacob’s Well, named after a bible passage, is the name of the soon-to-be nonprofit that takes water from Helena, Mississippi and Liberty, Missouri and transports via rail to Thoreau.

They have shipped more than half million gallons of water to the Navajo Nation and hope to expand the water-by-rail delivery system.

“The more we move, the more the price is going to keep coming down,” Drew said.

The clean, drinkable water is pumped from the rail car into Arviso’s truck and delivered to different homes across the Navajo Nation five days a week.

Showing up for her people is something that runs in Arviso’s family.

“My grandfather was a medicine man, and he was doing the same thing,” Arviso said. “Helping other people.”