Lewis & Clark Water Project to Madison is Finally Complete

Local, state, and federal leaders gathered just a few miles outside of Madison on Wednesday to celebrate the completion of a project that started long before many of them even thought about seeking public office. After a 34 and a half-year wait, Madison began receiving water from a dedicated Lewis and Clark line on August 2, officially becoming the 19th member connected to the water system. Wednesday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony took place at the site of Madison’s 1-million-gallon Lewis & Clark ground storage tank that is now in operation.

All three members of South Dakota’s congressional delegation were in attendance and spoke at the event.

The Lewis & Clark Rural Water System Act became law in July 2000. The pipeline spans around 310 miles and delivers water to some 350,000 people. Sibley, Iowa, is expected to be hooked up this fall. The final step in construction of the “base” water system is now to build out a water treatment plant in Vermillion and reach a water capacity of 44.19 million gallons a day.

The entire project was supposed to be finished in 2016, but a lack of federal funding slowed the project to a near-standstill. In 2021, Lewis & Clark received over 152 million dollars from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Bureau of Reclamation Deputy Commissioner Roque Sanchez said funds from that law helped the Madison connection happen a decade sooner than they had previously planned.

None of South Dakota’s U.S. congressional delegates voted for the bill.

Madison Mayor Roy Lindsay said the connection to Lewis & Clark will ensure that Madison can meet its water needs for decades to come.