OEHE Division of Sanitation Facilities Construction

The Great Plains Area Sanitation Facilities Construction (SFC) Program is responsible for the delivery of environmental engineering services and sanitation facilities to American Indians in the Great Plains Area. The Great Plains Area SFC Program provides services to 18 federally recognized tribes located in Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota. It accomplishes its responsibilities through the allocation of available resources to District Offices located in Minot, ND; Pierre, SD; and Sioux City, IA.

The enactment of Public Law 86-121, in 1959, is a milestone in Indian health legislation and authorizes the creation of the SFC Program within the Indian Health Service (IHS). The SFC Program provides American Indian and Alaska Native homes and communities with essential water supply, sewage disposal, and solid waste disposal facilities. IHS environmental engineers plan, design, and manage most SFC projects.

The IHS mission is to raise the health status of the American Indian and Alaska Native people to the highest possible level by providing comprehensive health care and preventive health services. To support the IHS mission, the SFC Program provides technical and financial assistance to American Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages for cooperative development and continued operation of safe water, wastewater, and solid waste systems and related support facilities.