The South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources recently announced funding for multiple drinking water and wastewater projects, including $3 million for two drinking water regionalization efforts. At its March meeting, the Board of Water and Natural Resources approved $1 million for the Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System (Dakota Mainstem) and $2 million for the Water Investment in Northern South Dakota (WINS) Project.
The WINS Project will use the funding for engineering design, pre-construction activities, and construction of facilities to support a regional drinking water effort among three existing systems. The Project aims to enhance water system capacities, improve reliability, and ensure the provision of safe drinking water through a shared raw water intake and treatment facility along the Missouri River.
The Dakota Mainstem funds are for a feasibility study to determine the viability and costs to provide water and system interconnections throughout east central and southeastern South Dakota. This regional system includes municipalities, rural water systems, water associations, water districts, tribal systems, and other service providers in South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota. In addition to regionalization, the Dakota Mainstem effort is considering replacing traditional groundwater sources of drinking water with water from the Missouri River. [Hanson]
