[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6365819,"mediaKeyId","2159767-516e88ecc39c462bba9fecaf8473b5ce","parentId",2159767,"title","Water Coalition urges lawmakers to protect North Dakota Resources Trust Fund while backing HB1020","audioSeconds",330,"startMs",5350000,"endMs",5680000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2159767-516e88ecc39c462bba9fecaf8473b5ce&start=5350&end=5680","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2159767-516e88ecc39c462bba9fecaf8473b5ce/thumbnail_5350000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6365819/North-Dakota/Water-Coalition-urges-lawmakers-to-protect-North-Dakota-Resources-Trust-Fund-while-backing-HB1020","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6365819-33e7449a6d3820f8c0f3c9ba03b9522d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771172246&Signature=iro0lest5muKHMfcH7n9d6d-nu9IzB1yisJa~eDNLClEYvntzzqPCUsFWaSBfgYt9uz3YVeou3g4FyfG20bY~yH0cnwovSZTSMKZ6DtfVAnjISRnR8g5wGug1tT4Fhg7tbST~HOcCtITADQNX7v32T8-u0XhVJedtuzmBtcaTFYldPHc0F0lavcZPEpiwBp06pFaFyO5wAH0XWikAxoR0O1Qi9wSPjEHb37KosoIbDTkAwvnNdsx3eDjbmixJV9X6KFPzSzTKq6Npe5KJr0HPa936pR3chtl7PgQA-VfnxLMliwlApOQgY1kk8lq1lG6hiU7GwANQWJlGh1ZS-fj3g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","House Appropriations - Education and Environment Division, ND","date","2025-01-28T00:00:00Z","article","Lauren DeWitz, chair of the North Dakota Water Coalition, told the Appropriations — Education and Environment Division she and the coalition support House Bill 1020 and urged the committee to guard the Resources Trust Fund.

DeWitz walked the committee through the rationale behind the trust fund’s creation, saying lawmakers formed the fund to put one-time oil revenues into one-time expenditures rather than ongoing programs after revenue volatility in earlier decades. \"If we forget history and we lose some of those lessons, history's gonna repeat itself,\" DeWitz told the committee.

DeWitz said the Water Coalition is a membership organization representing about 41 organizations that work to coordinate water stakeholders, and she asked the committee not to use one‑time trust-fund revenues to offset ongoing spending or reduce taxes in a way that would imperil long-term projects. \"We support House Bill 10 20, but I would ask this committee that you guys kind of be the guardians of that Resources Trust Fund,\" she said.

Her remarks came during the HB1020 hearing; lawmakers thanked her for the perspective and closed the public hearing later in the session.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Appropriations - Education and Environment Division Jan 28, 2025 II","oneSentenceSummary","The North Dakota Water Coalition told the Appropriations committee it supports House Bill 1020 and urged legislators to preserve the Resources Trust Fund — the group described it as a mechanism to avoid spending one‑time oil revenue on ongoing expenses.","taxTitle","Appropriations - Education and Environment Division, House of Representatives, Legislative, North Dakota","taxId",28886,"location","North Dakota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6365823,"Western Area Water Supply officials describe growth, projects and industrial demand to appropriations committee",2778,2609000,5387000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2159767-516e88ecc39c462bba9fecaf8473b5ce&start=2609&end=5387","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2159767-516e88ecc39c462bba9fecaf8473b5ce/thumbnail_2609000.jpg","/articles/6365823/North-Dakota/Western-Area-Water-Supply-officials-describe-growth-projects-and-industrial-demand-to-appropriations-committee","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6365823-b1d09f2436a2193131d9afa634278aef/orig.mp4?Expires=1771172246&Signature=LOhzU5TjauU86lP-xEp8emMx62qZcvpRslUUJxkANhuNyySCDpnKQkpwudLbbBcPgFaKULw7eKWx4u78nM2lUbi17uMwR2bEKG8NZrXYBwt1WvOeOkoH42dIdIYaNGT6vI5PuqTYdPzt4hTFptlYv8GS66h76Qgjk4e5PBrgleNQw2ajbZBjCNLRqpZqjwNp2o5hdK~mg3EfvUooTthQgP6iv018zdvrpv7oA4XV9RGA2jA3cRA8ow3qxmwcIh3dtsWR9tLl~Je7JrsysUe8wfhL1N5TIH~BzSkIYs-0iaJf7c~ZcT148K0p3WTQwmNuVU-~o0dnCJ9Es8bBEL-QjQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Western Area Water Supply (WAWS) officials told the Appropriations — Education and Environment Division that the system has grown substantially and has multiple rural and municipal projects planned for the coming biennia.

\"WAWS has 3,000-ish miles installed of rural distribution and transmission pipeline,\" said Chris Barkey, interim executive director of Western Area Water Supply, who described the service area as five counties and said the Williston Water Treatment Plant currently treats about 21 million gallons per day. Barkey said WAWS infrastructure includes 39 pump stations, 26 ground storage reservoirs and five water towers.

Barkey told the committee WAWS has seen a 72% population increase in its service area between the 2010 and 2020 censuses and that the system has relied on a mix of state funding and local revenue. He said WAWS historically has “taken on $290 million from the state and $173 million of that is local” (figures provided by the presenter).

Project work scheduled or proposed for the near term includes McKenzie County rural transmission, Battleview–MacGregor transmission, a Trenton-area 12-inch service main, and upgrades to treatment-plant intakes and sedimentation basins. Barkey said several rural projects will add new users and in some cases upsize existing pipe where demand has increased.

On industrial demand, an E2S engineer working with WAWS said Basin Electric recently announced a new plant near Ray and has discussed bulk-water needs in the range of about 150–200 gallons per minute; Barkey added that an existing pioneer plant in the area can draw around 500 gpm at peak. WAWS representatives told lawmakers that industrial revenues have been a consistent revenue source and that annual industrial revenue has generally remained in the $10–$12 million range, which WAWS uses to help meet principal and interest obligations.

Officials said three rural construction projects scheduled for the current biennium are poised to begin this spring and that the Williston plant expansion and a collection of transmission and storage projects are planned for the 2025–27 biennium. Committee members asked for follow-up data on recent water-use trends, residential versus municipal consumption, and year‑to‑date growth figures — Barkey agreed to provide additional usage and growth numbers to the committee.

No formal committee action on WAWS matters was recorded during the hearing.","Western Area Water Supply (WAWS) representatives told the committee that WAWS has expanded pipeline and treatment capacity in northwest North Dakota, outlined near-term rural projects and described steady industrial revenue that supports debt service.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6365827,"Lawmakers hear updates on Red River Valley Water Supply project funding, schedule and assurances",3587,2111000,5698000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2159767-516e88ecc39c462bba9fecaf8473b5ce&start=2111&end=5698","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2159767-516e88ecc39c462bba9fecaf8473b5ce/thumbnail_2111000.jpg","/articles/6365827/North-Dakota/Lawmakers-hear-updates-on-Red-River-Valley-Water-Supply-project-funding-schedule-and-assurances","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6365827-966cfa3328ef50f713a4935f9cf4c563/orig.mp4?Expires=1771172246&Signature=KBlTxov64rPMLnRzx4qrUmtaZTl105P9XygNCeLGhggqPfrBuPWuBO~xz9cLOotqcxswLYuwaCoN2qPqtE5bthdKN1r6sQ8tmrV3oNyJlWSvEmyfbeVKiYCalzrCIhjnIwNBGEiWtrDZvXkTtf62qk898FtPYFUyK3M0In7bxxMLfmlJb6dk~rQgQ7~UTpYblJ-y8FZxNvpIoY4sdndMi~HNYVOvbHxHo4i6-IyiPRfVOlEr-uH8zl6tg4Aq14JRK-GxcJoqKg1IJBSZEdBzX~BdzcuhzqkTT~LCb6HXlCXAN3nDMPIjbLcIfwRt5vad4GCgVDaIAmOXA1vd1wrfiQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Appropriations — Education and Environment Division opened a public hearing on House Bill 1020 to receive updates Thursday on the Red River Valley Water Supply project, presenters said.

Garrison Diversion Conservancy District and Lake Agassiz Water Authority leaders described the project’s technical scope, a near-term construction schedule and financing plans, and answered questions about drought assurances and long-term capacity.

Speakers told the committee the project will move water from the Missouri River via the McCluskey Canal, with pipeline segments already under contract. \"It's a 25 miles. It's a pretty long length of pipe that we have to put in and it's a 7 foot pipe 15 feet below the ground,\" said Tim Mahoney, mayor of Fargo and chairman of the Lake Agassiz Water Authority. Mahoney and others described the system as an \"emergency water supply\" that some communities also view as an economic-development driver.

Bernie Dardis, mayor of West Fargo and a LAWA board member, summarized the project's state financing: he said Senate Bill 2020 (2023) appropriated $180 million for the current biennium and that the project assumes a 75% state / 25% local cost share. Dardis also said the project plan uses a 2% water infrastructure revolving fund loan and that the state request/obligation figure discussed by presenters was about $193 million. He and consultant Sean Gaddy told lawmakers that accelerating the schedule — for example by pre-procuring pipe and adjusting contracting strategies for facilities — could reduce inflation exposure and potentially shave roughly $40–$50 million from projected inflationary costs, depending on how many years are removed from the current build schedule.

Lawmakers asked about drought protections for upstream users. \"The lowest flow ever observed in the Missouri River in a drought situation was 13,000 cubic feet per second. This project at full bore is 165 cubic feet per second. You can't even measure it on a river gauge,\" said Duane Duque, general manager of Garrison Diversion, adding the project \"won't endanger anybody else that's already using the river in North Dakota.\"

Committee members also pressed presenters on redundancy and potential additional phases. Mahoney said an alternate intake (described as \"Phase 2\") would be a separate, optional work stream and estimated that full Phase 2 construction could cost about $200 million; he characterized that work as a contingency if the McCluskey Canal intake were unavailable. Garrison staff said the installed pipeline capacity is being designed to deliver about 165 cubic feet per second; they also said facility modifications, upsized pipe in spots and additional work could increase delivery capacity in the future, but would require further construction and expense.

Presenters described policies intended to reduce risk for small users. Mahoney described an \"assurance policy\" under which larger users such as Fargo and Grand Forks will initially accept some of the distribution burden so small systems can join the project without an immediate large capital outlay; after a defined period small users could assume service and local repayments.

Committee members asked about contractor availability and bids. Officials said recent contracts have seen multiple bidders and bids generally have come in near engineer estimates, though availability of bidders can vary by contract size. Speakers said pipeline procurement could be accelerated more easily than some large treatment and facilities work, and that contracting strategy changes would be needed to speed the facilities portion.

No committee vote on HB 1020 was recorded during the hearing. Presenters finished by noting ongoing local outreach: they said dozens of user meetings have been held and more are scheduled as smaller communities consider signing on.

The committee closed the hearing on House Bill 1020 after public comment concluded.","Officials and local mayors told the Appropriations — Education and Environment Division that the Red River Valley Water Supply project is advancing, outlined state and local funding shares, described steps to protect small users, and answered lawmakers’ questions on drought assurances and capacity. No committee vote was recorded at the hearing.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Water Coalition urges lawmakers to protect North Dakota Resources Trust Fund while backing HB1020

Western Area Water Supply officials describe growth, projects and industrial demand to appropriations committee

Lawmakers hear updates on Red River Valley Water Supply project funding, schedule and assurances