Central South Dakota News

U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) have introduced legislation to reauthorize the Reclamation Rural Water Supply Act of 2006. This reauthorization would grant the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) the authority to design and construct rural water supply projects, providing potable water to rural communities in western states.

Large-scale water projects require federal authorization for both feasibility studies and construction. The Rural Water Supply Program, established in 2006, allowed the BOR to develop and recommend such projects. However, this program lapsed in 2016. The proposed legislation aims to reauthorize it for an additional eight years.

"Access to clean water in rural areas is critical for South Dakotans," said Rounds. "Authorizing each project individually causes these systems to get bogged down in unnecessary bureaucratic processes. Renewing the Bureau of Reclamation’s authority to study and authorize rural water systems will help deliver clean water by eliminating the need to authorize each project individually. I’m pleased to introduce this legislation with Senator Klobuchar to make it easier for America’s most rural residents to access the water they need."

"Rural communities have been disproportionately impacted by poor water infrastructure systems, making it increasingly difficult for them to dependably access clean potable water. We need to change that," said Klobuchar. "That’s why I’m joining Senator Rounds to introduce this bipartisan legislation, which will help accelerate the deployment of critical rural water supply projects."

In South Dakota, this reauthorization would advance three significant rural water improvement projects: the Water Investment in Northern South Dakota (WINS), the Western Dakota Regional Water System, and the Dakota Mainstem—all aiming to distribute Missouri River water throughout the state.

The legislation has received endorsements from both the South Dakota Association of Rural Water Systems and the National Rural Water Association.

"Senator Rounds' approach to reauthorizing the Rural Water Supply program exemplifies a no-nonsense strategy to streamline the federal process, ensuring more efficient and effective support for rural communities in South Dakota," said Jeremiah Corbin, Interim Executive Director of the South Dakota Association of Rural Water Systems.