Washington DC — This area’s Congressman has again thrown his support behind the Lewis & Clark Regional Water System.
The system was incorporated in 1990 and was authorized in 2003. Construction began in earnest in 2004, and operations started on July 30, 2012. But only 13 of the 20 members are hooked up and receiving water. Of the seven left, four are in our area: Sioux Center, Hull, Sheldon, and Sibley.
It was recently announced that the State of Iowa would not be loaning Lewis & Clark any money this year. In the past, the State loaned the water system $7 million, with the agreement that when the promised federal money for the system came in, that they would pay back the State. Lewis & Clark officials were looking for more money to continue the system — specifically getting water from Beresford, South Dakota, under the Big Sioux River, and to Sioux Center. Lewis & Clark Executive Director Troy Larson said the setback would probably mean another year’s delay in getting the water to Sioux Center and Hull.
Congressman Steve King recently testified in support of providing the missing federal funding to Lewis & Clark in testimony presented to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure this week regarding policy priorities the committee should adopt in this session of Congress.
King was invited to testify before the Committee by Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Ranking Member Sam Graves (R-MO).
