Hoeven Working to Bring Critical Water Supply Projects to Completion Across North Dakota

Hoeven Working to Bring Critical Water Supply Projects to Completion Across North Dakota

Senator Marks 50th Anniversary of ND Rural Water Systems Association

BISMARCK, N.D. - Senator John Hoeven today marked the 50th anniversary of the North Dakota Rural Water Systems Association, where he discussed his efforts to ensure local communities can make needed upgrades to their local water and sewer systems, supporting growing populations, a stronger economy and the health of local residents. To this end, Hoeven is working as a member of the Senate Energy and Water Development Appropriations Committee to:

• Fully Fund the Eastern North Dakota Alternate Water Supply (ENDAWS).
  • Last fall, Hoeven hosted Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) Commissioner Camille Touton in North Dakota to help keep this project moving forward.
  • The senator previously secured a commitment from Touton to work with him on funding ENDAWS.
  • At the same time, Hoeven is working to ensure BOR municipal, rural, and industrial (MR&I) funding is available for projects like ENDAWS. Touton has also committed to Hoeven to help address this issue.
• Secure a Reasonable Cost of Water for the Red River Valley Water Supply Project (RRVWSP).
  • ENDAWS will allow for additional water to be released from Garrison Diversion Unit facilities to serve as an alternate water source for the state-led RRVWSP.
  • The Garrison Diversion Conservancy District estimates that the alternative water supply would reduce project costs by $200 million while also saving on operating costs.
  • To achieve these cost reductions, Hoeven is working to ensure BOR agrees to a reasonable cost for the water released from Garrison Diversion facilities, which are currently underutilized.
• Bring the Northwest Area Water Supply (NAWS) to Completion.
  • Hoeven has worked since his time as governor to advance NAWS.
  • As senator, he supported efforts to address the project's legal hurdles and helped secure agreement from BOR and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on a water treatment plan.
  • The biota water treatment facility is currently under construction and is scheduled to be completed later this year.

"In partnership with our rural water systems, we're working to ensure our communities continue to have access to a secure, affordable and reliable supply of water, all of which is critical to maintaining a high quality of life for North Dakotans," said Hoeven. "Between NAWS, ENDAWS and RRWSP, we're on track to enhance the available water supply for vast areas of the state and more than half of our population. That's a major investment in the continued growth of our communities, which is why we've been hard at work for years to keep these projects moving forward and bring them across the finish line."

Advancing ENDAWS

These efforts follow Hoeven's work with the North Dakota delegation to secure a completed Environmental Impact Study (EIS) and a signed Record of Decision (ROD) for ENDAWS. The ROD was the final step of the federal environmental review process and enables the state to construct the project's infrastructure and facilities.

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