Congressional delegations seek water project money

By CHET BROKAW
Associated Press

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - The congressional delegations of South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa urged Obama administration officials Thursday to boost funding for a drinking water project that would serve parts of all three states, Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., said.

Members of the House and Senate from the three states met Thursday with Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and other agency officials to discuss funding for the Lewis and Clark Regional Water System.

The three states and 20 communities to be served by the project already have paid more than $150 million, their complete share of the project, but President Barack Obama's proposed budget for the current year would provide only $493,000 in federal funding for the project. Thune said the project is about two-thirds complete, but the president's funding proposal would hold up further work.

Thune said he told the federal officials that funding for rural projects has fallen as a percentage of total federal spending on water projects in recent years. He said he and other federal lawmakers urged Salazar to give priority to projects that are nearing completion and those where local sponsors have already paid their share.

Thune said he feels Salazar and Connor are willing to work on giving some priority to such projects.

"We'll see what impact that has. I can't tell you what that means exactly for Lewis and Clark, yet," Thune said in a telephone press conference with South Dakota reporters.

The Lewis and Clark project would pipe water from the Missouri River to Sioux Falls and other communities in southeastern South Dakota, northwestern Iowa and southwestern Minnesota. Those communities have a total population of about 300,000.

Congress authorized the project in 2000. Thune said he realizes the Interior Department is faced with budget cutbacks just like other federal agencies, but he would like to see annual funding restored to the $20 million or so that was provided in previous years.

The three states and 20 communities have paid their complete share of more than $150 million for the water project, and the federal government has provided about $200 million so far, or about half its share of the cost.

"Now, the federal government is pulling the rug out from under this project," the Republican senator said.

Thune noted that a Senate committee recently proposed an additional $21 million for rural water projects, and he believes priority for that money should go to projects nearing completion.

Rep. Kristi Noem, R-S.D., said earlier Thursday the communities involved in the project need safe, clean water not only for residents but also for businesses thinking of locating in the area.

"Adequate and reliable water supplies are certainly critical to job creation and attracting new businesses in rural America. This project would help us get towards that goal," Noem said.

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