West Central Regional Water District presents master plan progress, asks counties to consider short‑term funding

Representatives of the West Central Regional Water District on Feb. 11 briefed the Clay County Board of Commissioners on a regional effort to create a long‑term water supply for rural communities across parts of Clay, Norman and Polk counties, and requested that counties consider short‑term stopgap funding to preserve momentum while additional grant agreements are finalized.

Lucas Spieth, board chair of the West Central Regional Water District and Halstad municipal utility superintendent, and Steven Slick of AE2S (engineering consultant) reviewed the district’s formation and the engineering and funding steps completed to date. They said the district has secured about $3.5 million in federal EPA grants for master planning and early design work and reported additional pending grant requests totaling roughly $750,000. Local projects and cities have also secured or applied for funding in support of future hookups; AE2S reported roughly $2.4 million secured locally by regional cities for infrastructure related to the district.

Why it matters: The district would serve small cities and rural residents who often rely on private wells with hard water, taste, odor or arsenic concerns. A regional supply could address contaminant treatment needs and extend reliable potable water access to smaller towns with aging infrastructure.

Key points from the presentation - Scope and scale: The district footprint (as presented) covers parts of Polk, all of Norman and portions of Clay County outside the planned Moorhead Public Service area; planners identified up to 30 cities and roughly 40,000 people who could be served as the project grows. - History and process: The project concept began in 2019–2020 and evolved through feasibility and court processes; a formal district petition was filed and accepted and a detailed engineering survey is the next court step. - Funding to date: AE2S reported $3.5 million in federal EPA grants secured for master planning/design/legal work; another $750,000 in federal grant requests are pending. The presentation also referenced prior USDA pipeline funding for a neighboring project and $2.4 million secured locally by regional cities for phase‑1 infrastructure. - Operational and technical challenges: Presenters emphasized high capital costs for treatment, storage and distribution facilities for small cities, operator shortages for licensed water operators, and water quality issues in rural wells (including arsenic treatment needs in some towns). - Short‑term funding request: The West Central board asked the counties to consider stopgap funds to avoid a project pause while the EPA grant agreement and reimbursement mechanisms are finalized; presenters outlined scenarios of $150,000 to $200,000 total (to be apportioned among counties under the previously discussed formula) and noted costs could approach $400,000 in a worst‑case scenario if the timeline slips.

Discussion and next steps: Commissioners asked about timing and county commitments. Presenters said EPA grant agreements and an interlocal agreement must be finalized before reimbursement is available and estimated a 5–6 month timeframe to access those funds once the EPA approves the work plan and grant agreements. The presenters said the district plans to notify approximately 15,000–16,000 landowners in the district boundary for the next round of public hearings and will continue applying for federal, state and private funding. The board did not take formal action at the Feb. 11 meeting; Clay County commissioners said they will discuss possible county contributions and consider the request at a future meeting.

Quote: "If we were to apportion some stopgap funding, based on our previous formula, what would it look like?" said a West Central presenter while outlining county scenarios; the presentation emphasized the goal of keeping momentum so that the project does not lose a construction season.

What the record does not show: No county vote or financial commitment was made at the Feb. 11 meeting; the presenters asked for discussion and potential future consideration of stopgap funding only.

Background on participation and scope: The presenters noted more than 450 rural testimonials expressing interest in hooking up to rural water; common concerns listed in surveys were hard water, reliability, odor and arsenic. The district’s master plan will continue to evaluate five study zones and will develop board financial policies, rate structures and equitable grant distribution mechanisms before a construction bid phase.