Committee backs multi-year water funding plan; approves line-of-credit and loan-fund changes

The E & E Committee unanimously recommended a do-pass for House Bill 1020 after adopting amendments that implement a 14-year water funding plan, authorize a strategic $200 million line of credit for the Department of Water Resources and provide targeted appropriations for regional systems and local projects.

Representative Swantek, the bill sponsor, said the proposal aims to “improve resiliency and protect North Dakota citizens and the economy from negative water-related impacts” by accelerating project spending and clarifying governance, cost-share policy and carryover authority. He described a 14-year prioritization framework for statewide water needs and emphasized the Legislature’s intent to retain existing legislative intent for major projects including the Mouse River and Red River efforts while addressing inflationary needs.

Rhys Haas, director of the Department of Water Resources, told the committee that water projects do not fit neatly into a two-year biennial cycle: "Depending on the size and complexity of a water project, it could take anywhere from 3, 4 years to, in some cases, over a decade to…