Biden-Harris Administration celebrates final community connected to Lewis & Clark Regional Water System

SIBLEY, Iowa - Today, the Bureau of Reclamation celebrated Sibley becoming the 20th and final member of the Lewis & Clark Regional Water System to be connected to its water supply during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Sibley Meter Building in Iowa. The meter building is the last piece of critical infrastructure needed to allow water to flow to the people of Sibley. The city now has access to 650,000 gallons of clean, reliable water per day from the system.

White House Director of Strategic Engagement Will McIntee along with Bureau of Reclamation Deputy Commissioner Roque Sánchez, together with local and federal leaders, came together to celebrate the milestone.

The Lewis & Clark project received, a $152.5 million investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which accelerated construction by a decade. This project has built over 300 miles of water pipeline and is now delivering clean drinking water to 350,000 people across rural South Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa, illustrating Reclamation's dedication to significant outcomes for the tri-state area.

As part of the Biden-Harris Administration's Investing in America agenda, President Biden spoke with Roy Lindsay, Mayor of Madison, South Dakota which was the 19^th community connected to the Lewis and Clark water system. Thanks to this project, Mayor Lindsay's community will no longer have to ration water when its supply runs low. The video, part of the White House's Investing in America digital series also launched on social media channels today.

"Lewis and Clark Regional Water System is the ultimate example of collaboration that Reclamation hopes other projects are watching and aspiring to", said Deputy Commissioner for the Bureau of Reclamation Roque Sánchez. "The federal government, the local project sponsor and three state governments have worked together for a common purpose of providing communities like Sibley with clean reliable water."

"Our longstanding partnership with the Lewis and Clark Regional Water System organization has been essential," said Reclamation Missouri Basin Regional Director Brent Esplin. "I'm grateful for the dedication and hard work of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the Lewis and Clark team, and all the stakeholders involved."

"Lewis & Clark will deliver much-needed, dependable drinking water to more than 350,000 individuals in the tri-state area," said Reclamation Dakotas Area Manager Joe Hall. "The project's success highlights the collaborative efforts of the federal government, South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, and 20 local governments."

"This was our last segment of pipeline, and it was by far the earliest a pipeline contract reached substantial completion in relation to the deadline." said Lewis and Clark Executive Director Troy Larson. "The federal government, local project sponsor, and three state governments have collaborated to ensure communities like Sibley receive clean, reliable water. I could not be more pleased with how this monumental project will serve the community."

After 34 years in the making, Lewis & Clark began delivering water to the first 11 members on July 30, 2012, and now serves all 20 members. The final member connected to the system is Sibley, Iowa. The completed system's capacity will be up to 45 million gallons per day, with potential expansion to 60 MGD in the future.