An Arizona ski resort is looking past Mother Nature and eyeing a new source for their snow: reclaimed water from sewage treatment plants.
The Arizona Snowbowl in Cococino County has struck a deal with the city of Flagstaff, Ariz., to use 180 million gallons of recycled waste water for artificial snow use, The Daily Mail reports.
Construction on the system is reportedly underway, but lawsuits from environmental advocates have stalled its opening since 2005.
The Hopi Native American tribe filed a lawsuit against Flagstaff earlier this month challenging a decision last year not to amend or cancel the contract for the waste water deal.
“Our identity is based on our relationship with these sacred places and this - having the source of our spiritual renewal become so contaminated and desecrated - is a direct threat to our survival,” Klee Benally, a 35-year-old member of the Navajo tribe, told The Daily Mail.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said the water is safe for use pending it’s treated.
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