Rapid City receives 100-year water utility master plan outlining constrained and unconstrained capital plans

Consultants with Black & Veatch presented the city’s updated Water Utility System Master Plan to the Rapid City Public Works Committee on April 1, summarizing a ~600‑page final report and a multi‑thousand‑page appendix that model water demand, system condition and capital needs out to 2115.

The plan projects population and water demand across three service‑area horizons and develops both an unconstrained and a fiscally constrained 100‑year capital improvement plan (CIP). It also delivers updated hydraulic models, an asset‑condition assessment, and a prioritized pipeline replacement program for the city’s roughly 34,000 existing pipe segments.

Sean Labonde, project manager for Black & Veatch, told the committee the study updated the hydraulic model, revised population and demand projections and tested the city’s current water‑rights portfolio against three supply scenarios, including a severe multi‑year drought. Labonde said the team revised per‑capita use assumptions downward: “This master plan is based on 135 gallons per person per day.” He said that lower consumption, paired with more conservative population projections, reduces long‑term maximum‑day demand compared with older plans.

The report uses the city planning department’s population forecasts and defines short‑, mid‑ and long‑term service areas for 2025, 2045 and 2115. Labonde showed…