[{"_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",6359923,"mediaKeyId","2175504-840ed52d861fd24b516d3e2ffc707646","parentId",2175504,"title","Irrigation advocates urge appropriation for development, permits and staffing; committee hears request for interest-rate buydowns and data analyst FTE","audioSeconds",103,"startMs",5394000,"endMs",5497000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2175504-840ed52d861fd24b516d3e2ffc707646&start=5394&end=5497","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2175504-840ed52d861fd24b516d3e2ffc707646/thumbnail_5394000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6359923/North-Dakota/Irrigation-advocates-urge-appropriation-for-development-permits-and-staffing-committee-hears-request-for-interest-rate-buydowns-and-data-analyst-FTE","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6359923-d86dbf962f17429b91cf40f79c5819ed/orig.mp4?Expires=1771180853&Signature=NNcCU1Q5uB9QvgircJkzWd7G4egnjR4QyPNTMiSYvVnIWGFlbVgZwBeFJYLz3oc5IqkMvHJjxZUzNFNh-~XqUiqU2Ltz~zf~VgzFovFDiKcgvNbjScTsNhF3v1nfYFE32YZPKlaJZIYA6PXfz1rAUYtO3vYumE6rtST~2Xvz73A34noBQ2lAiNPP4gH3aGO4799zCTWwMeWQvc7lWl4EeeRSlYxB7g4RA3PLf-hVP79l75Nl3yx4dL4oBpTvkMPxTGMNu8YoFEiMLNJ6Xvl32F1zw~rqDQFVKQVEsYtA0w3Zjo7qVg-xqlpNQswr0QibNW60O2xwGF3kmwfgWxGW1w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","House Appropriations - Education and Environment Division, ND","date","2025-01-30T00:00:00Z","article","Representatives of irrigation and water-user groups told the House Appropriations — Education and Environment Division they support House Bill 1020’s proposed water-development funding and urged additional support for planning grants, a Bank of North Dakota line of credit, and staffing to speed water-permit review.

Steve Hansen, chairman of the North Dakota Irrigation Association, said a recent study (synopsis provided to the committee) found roughly 2 million acres across the state have soils and land use amenable to irrigation development and that 37 counties have more than 10,000 acres of potential irrigable cropland. Hansen asked appropriators to consider $300,000 to $500,000 in the general water bucket to support cost-share planning for irrigation districts and to continue the state’s participation in an interest-rate buydown program for individual irrigators (AG-PACE), which has been underused.

Dennis Reap, representing the North Dakota Water Resource Districts Association, told the committee water resource districts cover the entire state, typically handle flooding and erosion projects, and operate with limited county-level funding. He asked lawmakers to consider a Bank of North Dakota line-of-credit allocation (included in parts of the budget request) to help local districts meet construction cash-flow needs and noted permitting delays are a frequent constraint on project schedules.

Dan Wagsland of the North Dakota Grain Growers Association stated his group supports House Bill 1020, highlighting an item in the executive budget that would add an attorney position in the Department of Water Resources. Wagsland said the association views the legal position as a “wise investment” to help address complex water-law issues affecting agriculture.

Speakers emphasized permit processing capacity at the Department of Water Resources as a bottleneck: both irrigation proponents and water-district representatives urged consideration of additional technical or data-analysis staff so the agency can analyze water-use and aquifer data promptly and make timely permit decisions.

No committee votes were recorded during the public testimony segment; lawmakers asked for data on historical irrigation adoption rates and acreage, which testifiers said they could provide after the hearing.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Appropriations - Education and Environment Division Jan 30, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Irrigation and water‑user groups told the Appropriations — Education and Environment Division that House Bill 1020’s water-development funds should prioritize planning grants, a Bank of North Dakota construction line of credit for local districts, and staffing at the Department of Water Resources to speed permit review.","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},6359933,"Southwest Pipeline officials tell appropriations committee funding gap remains for major expansion and pipe replacement",1820,1909000,3729000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2175504-840ed52d861fd24b516d3e2ffc707646&start=1909&end=3729","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2175504-840ed52d861fd24b516d3e2ffc707646/thumbnail_1909000.jpg","/articles/6359933/North-Dakota/Southwest-Pipeline-officials-tell-appropriations-committee-funding-gap-remains-for-major-expansion-and-pipe-replacement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6359933-da6bf50f23c44bae16417b28e4ab931c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771180853&Signature=l6Re1ZRtEtoIR6TwHUolct12ozVEo5gAi8EjszJeVZ9hsTV~awpFn9mmTWNQTrEj6aUczyFTtbuRTaElTnx~pHsEMJUIUaHwry2-tkv2TwqixHQQ4N9scWwC--SEQdhkunHk0ILAzfuc~B93kfLZtpmtIcdzU7T9m6OlcSzArNj6iVxtpnWCwbtuy00IISG0PQbM26fwsvXb9zhoPeqxKAKCV3mVV6amoxHdfdnPMmrJ6eYp-vmwlPedpSxOfH-g35vORNmhYag7uY7leo8sgRW6W31V1I~g60mj6xgrWamrXYyom6mGe-ejTyu3E0yh9eCHUi1mHFr3uKKFSBwpfg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Southwest Pipeline Project managers told the House Appropriations — Education and Environment Division on the hearing for House Bill 1020 that the regional system faces major capital needs, a backlog of unserved customers and accelerating costs for large pipeline and treatment projects.

The Southwest Pipeline Project currently serves about 58,000 people, including roughly 7,750 rural customers, officials said. Jen Murray, manager for the Southwest Pipeline Project, said the system includes more than 5,000 miles of pipe, 35 booster pump stations, 32 storage tanks and reservoirs, and three water treatment plants.

Why it matters: committee members pressed officials on a multiyear plan and specific dollar amounts as construction and replacement work carries into the next biennium. Justin Prosseth, the project manager with the Department of Water Resources, told lawmakers a major Southwest expansion now estimates a total project cost of $106 million; the 2023 session committed about $90 million (including a $50 million letter of credit and $40 million in appropriations), leaving roughly $16 million still needed to complete that contract package.

Officials outlined four near-term focuses: maintaining transmission reliability, strategic hydraulic improvements (parallel pipelines and booster stations), rural service-area expansion to serve unconnected customers, and replacement of critical metallic raw-water and potable pipelines showing microbiologically induced corrosion.

“We serve a population of about 58,000 people,” Jen Murray said, summarizing the system’s scale, and described the funding model: the State Water Commission has been the principal funder and construction administrator, and local customers repay a local share through a capital-repayment component of water rates. Murray said contract customers pay $1.51 per 1,000 gallons as a capital repayment component and that the base minimum for many rural customers in 2025 is $46.16 per month.

Committee members asked how many potential customers remain unserved. Murray said the system’s waiting list included 675 people and that an underserved rural area under active consideration had 825 financially committed customers; combined, she said, there were “more than 1,500 customers that we know of right now that are still needing water in our service area.” Prosseth said the authority typically connects about 200 people per year but that new commitments continually add to the waiting list.

On replacement needs, Murray and Prosseth described microbiologically induced corrosion affecting portions of the raw-water metallic pipeline between Lake Sakakawea and Dickinson. Prosseth said patterns point to low-elevation pipe runs in saturated soils with higher sulfates, and that replacements are costly: he estimated a current construction cost for a 30-inch pipeline could run “upwards of $500 per foot” depending on site conditions. The department has begun replacing lineal feet and plans to bring funding-and-process guidelines to the State Water Commission at an upcoming meeting.

Officials also described projects already in design and procurement: Buffalo Gap storage reservoir (to relieve West Zone constraints and bid in the coming months), hydraulic upgrades for the North New England service area (expected to benefit about 90 wait-list users), and a phased approach for serving the larger Hebron/Burton area. Prosseth said West Zone preliminary design would likely require multiple contracts and that construction bids and escalation in materials and labor explain the higher project totals.

No formal committee votes were recorded during the hearing segment; presentations were part of the House Bill 1020 hearing. Lawmakers requested more granular project-cost breakdowns by subproject and pressed staff on carryover and committed balances for prior appropriations; Cindy (Sindhuja S.) Palai Granoz, Water Development Division director, told the committee that about $80 million had been provided in the last biennium for Southwest projects and that much of that is committed to contracts in the pipeline.

Looking ahead, Murray and Prosseth said funding decisions and prioritization matrices—used to target projects that provide the greatest number of new service connections per dollar—will determine which underserved areas move forward. They recommended continued state appropriations and clarified that some replacement or capital-asset work may need to be funded from different capital buckets (e.g., REM vs. capital assets funding).","Southwest Pipeline Project managers told the House Appropriations — Education and Environment Division on the hearing for House Bill 1020 that the regional system faces major capital needs, a backlog of unserved customers and accelerating costs for large pipeline and treatment projects.",{"_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},6359927,"Officials update appropriations committee on NAS regional water project progress, timeline for lake-water delivery",423,4277000,4700000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2175504-840ed52d861fd24b516d3e2ffc707646&start=4277&end=4700","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2175504-840ed52d861fd24b516d3e2ffc707646/thumbnail_4277000.jpg","/articles/6359927/North-Dakota/Officials-update-appropriations-committee-on-NAS-regional-water-project-progress-timeline-for-lake-water-delivery","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6359927-cf6fb4a23d2f993241271ab5845ed8c3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771180853&Signature=H2OjPGXxGUV9851zq3Nw8qk7q~99-nV9h8HxwNZJdre0VLJXq-eyFHRDNyoYatnUMHEwWOVKvRUJ5OJllXR04UbIZlR7nq4ejFlCeV9TVKGbhxvVAqvdHd5CpUO-3u7IUmIPVMSSl4XopwPZI9texJEkfeoomKWFaKziy9Zrg07R8PWWHciNEeZ0bVvKJTFWiT-tQ~YFD2Rf8c0wyuRhIGlwZxesbXKX5kEr0gS4JWV83NY7h4ULwAbOc5prRciddoPzVhFUrXZDES-yfvSvbujp0pMOZ2LiWV~MNHHmSdDHDUTG3m1bVXXMwzpGXWXVk91bc2K-nIK2e-IG3zQ3Dw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Department of Water Resources officials gave the House Appropriations — Education and Environment Division an update on the NAS regional water project’s construction, permitting and budget request tied to House Bill 1020.

Key point: the department said the NAS project has several major contracts complete or near completion and that lake-water delivery depends on finishing the Biota (biofilter) water-treatment work, completing procurement and construction work in the Snake Creek Pumping Plant, and finishing the discharge pipeline. Officials said temporary intakes will allow interim delivery but that a permanent intake requires an Army Corps 408/404 review and associated permits.

Sindhuja S. Palai Granoz, Water Development Division director at the Department of Water Resources, told the committee the NAS project will serve an estimated project area of about 81,000 people and that the city of Minot provides a 35% local share for NAS through a 1% sales tax. She said the final financing agreement between the State Water Commission and the city of Minot was updated and finalized in 2024.

Officials outlined the items remaining to deliver lake water to customers: completion of the Biota water treatment plant (delayed by manufacturing defects in a filter underdrain), procurement and installation of switchgear and variable-frequency drives for Snake Creek Pumping Plant contracts, and completion of the discharge pipeline testing and site restoration. When asked for a timeline, officials said they hoped to begin lake-water delivery in 2025 using a temporary intake and that the permanent intake could be bid and awarded in mid‑2025 if the Army Corps permit and public-notice steps proceed on schedule.

On budget, Granoz said the executive budget includes a request of roughly $107 million for NAS work in the coming biennium, comprised of $72.7 million from the resources trust fund, $52.1 million from the City of Minot sales-tax fund, and $4.22 million in federal MRNI funding (these numbers were presented in testimony as the department’s budget request components). With that request, she said the department expects to complete most remaining NAS contracts except for one Bayard (Bayer/Biota) water-treatment phase noted as still needing an additional phase.

The committee pressed the department on permit timelines for the permanent intake; Granoz said the Army Corps of Engineers missed a public-notice step and placed the permit review on hold, which may affect a May 2025 target and could shift the intake schedule. She emphasized that the temporary intake will allow lake-water delivery if the permanent intake is delayed, and that additional procurement delays (notably switchgear and drives) have pushed some equipment delivery dates.

The department also requested one full-time operator position for NAS operations; Granoz said the position would be paid from NAS water rates (not the resources trust fund) and argued the workload and number of facilities (38 facilities and more than 240 miles of treated distribution pipeline) justify the staffing addition for 24/7 operational coverage.

No committee votes were recorded during the update; members asked for continued coordination on Corps permitting, procurement delivery, and project timelines.","Department of Water Resources officials told the Appropriations — Education and Environment Division that most NAS (Northern Area State) contracts are ongoing or complete, that delivery of lake water is expected once equipment delays and a permanent intake permit are resolved, and that the executive budget requests roughly $107 million for next","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Irrigation advocates urge appropriation for development, permits and staffing; committee hears request for interest-rate buydowns and data analyst FTE

Southwest Pipeline officials tell appropriations committee funding gap remains for major expansion and pipe replacement

Officials update appropriations committee on NAS regional water project progress, timeline for lake-water delivery