Dunn County approves MOU with Manning Water Works; funds hydraulic study to assess capacity

The Dunn County Board of Commissioners approved a memorandum of understanding with Manning Water Works and a separate hydraulic improvements agreement with Southwest Water on a plan to upgrade and, ultimately, transfer the town’s water distribution system.

Joanne, speaking as a representative of Manning Water Works, told commissioners the work will replace aging distribution lines and make the system compliant with state review. "We have 46 hookups currently. We have an additional 6 empty lots that eventually are looking to have water hookup," Joanne said, describing the current connection count and short-term demand.

The MOU approved by the commission authorizes county participation in the planned construction of new waterlines; the board’s approval was followed by a separate agreement to fund a hydraulic study — capped in the agreement at an initial estimate of $110,000 — that Southwest Water will use to identify upgrades needed to supply Manning and to determine whether additional capacity (for example a booster or water tower, or parallel lines) is required. The hydraulic study agreement requires Southwest to notify Dunn County if estimated costs are expected to exceed the initial estimate.

Why it matters: Southwest Water will not take ownership of Manning’s system until the lines are upgraded to Southwest’s specifications and regulatory approvals are secured. Commissioners and Manning representatives repeatedly emphasized that bringing lines up to specification does not, by itself, solve the region’s capacity shortfall: Joanne said Southwest has told the group the existing system has capacity for only about 24 hookups while 46 are already connected. New customer hookups will be withheld until additional supply is demonstrated.

During discussion, county officials and Manning leaders described regulatory and technical hurdles the town faces. Joanne said the state Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) review and a State Water Commission sign-off are required steps; she also noted that verification of historic pipe materials is incomplete and that some private- and public-side piping records are missing. "We have a lot of unknowns in our water system right now that we are unable to prove unless we dig up this water system," Joanne said, describing lead-and-copper documentation gaps that the upgrades and state review will resolve.

Commissioners approved the MOU in a voice vote and then approved the hydraulic improvements agreement in a separate motion; both votes were carried without recorded no votes. The MOU must still be submitted to the State Water Commission for final approval before Southwest will accept transfer of the system.

Officials said Bartlett & West (the engineering firm referenced in meeting discussion) will now provide a cost estimate and scope based on the approved hydraulic study; county staff noted that additional easements will be required and that portions of the work may be trenching or bored installation depending on contractor approach.

What the actions do and do not do: the approvals authorize the study and the memorandum but do not obligate Southwest to accept ownership of Manning Water Works until lines meet Southwest’s standards and the State Water Commission signs off. Commissioners and Manning leaders stressed that even after construction of lines to specification, system capacity to serve new connections will require separate upgrades and approvals.

Next steps: Bartlett & West will finalize the study scope and cost; Southwest will notify the county if costs exceed the initial estimate; Manning and county staff will begin easement acquisition. The MOU will move to the State Water Commission for its review and approval.

Speakers quoted in this article are drawn from the meeting record and were present at the meeting; direct quotations are attributed to those speakers.