President Biden signs Appropriations Bill that includes close to $22M for Lewis & Clark RWS

President Biden has signed a bill which includes close to 22-million dollars for ongoing construction of the Lewis and Clark Regional Water System.  

Lewis and Clark Executive Director Troy Larson said that the money was from the congressionally directed spending requests made by South Dakota Senators John Thune and Mike Rounds, and Minnesota Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith.  

A separate announcement is expected this month also on how much funding Lewis & Clark will receive for Fiscal Year-22 from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.  

Funding from both of these sources is expected to allow Lewis & Clark to move forward with construction of the remaining 32 miles of pipeline for the Madison service line, and the seventeen miles of pipeline between Hull and Sheldon, Iowa.  It also could potentially mean meter buildings at Sheldon and Sibley, a pump station near Hull, a ground storage reservoir near Madison, acquiring easements for the Sibley service line and adding more lime drying beds at the water treatment plant.

The Lewis & Clark Regional Water System includes 20 member cities and rural water systems in southeast South Dakota, northwest Iowa, and southwest Minnesota and is estimated to be 86-percent complete.  Water is currently being delivered to fifteen members.  Hull and Sioux Center, Iowa will begin receiving water late this year or early next.  Madison, along with Sheldon and Sibley, Iowa, could potentially be connected at differing times in 2024 and 2025 depending on funding levels.