Indigenous and rural communities in six different states will soon receive funds for water infrastructure thanks to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The Interior Department announced on Thursday that $420 million has been allocated to benefit portions of Iowa, Montana, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. This is the first of a series of allocations meant to bolster water projects that include the building of reservoirs, water treatment plants and intakes, pump systems, and pipeline connections. “With a $4.6 billion investment over five years for aging water infrastructure and rural water projects, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law ensures that rural and Tribal communities receive adequate assistance and support,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in a statement.
Of these initial projects, the largest to be funded is a project that will deliver water from the Ute Reservoir across six cities and two counties, along with nearby military facilities. The New Mexico project will receive $160 million and include the completion of three pipeline segments connecting communities to a planned new water treatment plant and further connect the plant itself toward the reservoir. The city of Texico, New Mexico, will also be connected to the system. New Mexico Gov. Michelle Grisham praised the ambitious project, as did lawmakers like Sen. Martin Heinrich and Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, the latter of whom has consistently made access to clean water a priority throughout her career. “These investments paired with this infusion of $160 million from the Infrastructure and Jobs Act will help complete the project, shaving more than a decade off the timeline so our communities, businesses, and families could have access to clean, affordable water,” Fernàndez said in a statement.
Three projects will be funded in Montana in Fort Peck Reservation-Dry Prairie, Rocky Boy’s/North Central Montana, and Musselshell-Judith, with a total of $101.5 million allocated to fund them. The project at Fort Peck Reservation places a key water treatment plant on the Missouri River and allows for continued support for both the Fort Peck Reservation West Project pipelines and non-Tribal pipelines, bettering helping to distribute water through 3,200 miles of pipeline. The Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation project allows for a new water treatment plant as well as additional pipeline build-out. The Musselshell-Judith project provides key resources for communities with a history of poor water quality and availability, including eight incorporated communities and many other unincorporated and rural communities.
North Dakota’s Garrison Diversion project spans eight counties and serves four Tribal reservations: Spirit Lake, Fort Berthold, Turtle Mountain, and Standing Rock. The $51 million allocated towards this project will go to expanding the Fort Berthold Rural Water System as well as the Spirit Lake and Standing Rock Reservations distribution system. A water treatment plant will also be constructed that will serve 81,000 people. Finally, the multistate Lewis & Clark project will receive $75.5 million. Spanning South Dakota, Iowa, and Minnesota, the project “addresses concerns regarding the low quality, contamination vulnerability, and insufficient supply of existing drinking water sources,” according to a spending plan.