Tea, South Dakota — Thursday afternoon the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced that Lewis & Clark Regional Water System will be receiving $75.5 million in FY22 from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL)
L&C Executive Director Troy Larson tells KIWA that this record amount of funding will allow for a record amount of construction.
Larson says that, despite the record size of the allotted funding, it isn’t enough to completely finish the project.
Earlier this year it was announced that L&C will be getting nearly $22 million from the federal Omnibus Appropriations Bill. That combined with the newly announced $75.5 million from the BIL means Lewis & Clark will be getting nearly $100 million in federal funds toward the project.
We asked Larson about the timetable for delivery of water to Sheldon and Sibley, here in northwest Iowa.
He says Hull and Sioux Center will begin receiving water by late 2022/early 2023. The System will benefit over 350,000 people when completed. It is estimated to currently be 86% complete, with water currently being delivered to 15 member communities.
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Original post 3:40 pm March 31, 2022
Tea, South Dakota — Federal Bureau of Reclamation officials have notified the Lewis & Clark Regional Water System (L&C) that it will be receiving $75.5 million in FY22 from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).
L&C Executive Director Troy Larson says this is a record-setting amount of funding for Lewis & Clark and will allow them to move forward with a record amount of construction this year.
The BIL includes $1 billion for seven authorized rural water projects. Reclamation is allocating $420 million in FY22. The remaining $580 million will be allocated over the next four years based on the construction capabilities of the seven projects. Larson says Lewis & Clark will be eligible to receive additional BIL funding again next year.
Funding from the BIL, as well as the $21.914 million recently approved in the FY22 Omnibus Appropriations Bill, will allow Lewis & Clark to award contracts for the remaining 32 miles of pipeline for the Madison service line, the 17 miles of pipeline between Hull and Sheldon, meter buildings at Sheldon and Sibley, a pump station near Hull, a ground storage reservoir near Madison and adding more lime drying beds at the water treatment plant, as well as designing the Sibley service line and acquiring easements.
