Western Dakota Regional Water System asks Pennington County to continue backing feasibility work as drought tightens

The executive director of Western Dakota Regional Water System asked the Pennington County Board of Commissioners on May 6 to continue county support for a regional project to bring new long-term water supplies to western South Dakota.

Kristen Conzett, the organization’s executive director, said a 2023 study by the South Dakota School of Mines and other technical work showed the region will face water shortfalls under extended drought and projected growth, and that the group is ready to pursue a federal feasibility study through the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Conzett said Western Dakota proposes a large pipeline from a Missouri River intake toward the Rapid City metropolitan area and that the organization has secured roughly $12.8 million in planning- and readiness-phase funding from members and grants. "We are in the starting gates and ready to go," Conzett said. She described the Bureau of Reclamation feasibility study as required to determine technical, economic and environmental qualifications for federal investment.

Why it matters: Conzett noted Pactola Reservoir has moved to "concerned" status and that Rapid City and parts of Pennington County have entered water-use restrictions. Western Dakota representatives told commissioners the region’s population growth plus extended drought increases the region’s long-term water needs; the five-county canvass showed Pennington County accounts for 63.6% of the five-county region’s population. Conzett said the group is asking member governments to consider a $50,000 contribution for 2026 as part of continued readiness and to keep work on track for a feasibility study application.

Board response and next steps: Commissioners praised the organization’s five-year preparation, including technical work with the U.S. Geological Survey and several engineering firms; several commissioners said they supported continuing county participation and asked staff to include a 2026 contribution in the county’s budget process. Conzett said Western Dakota is working with Congressional delegation staff to secure authorization and a Bureau of Reclamation study allocation; she said the Bureau will only act once Congress authorizes or appropriates a study and that the project team has already prepared materials to speed evaluation once the Bureau begins work.