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Western Dakota regional water plan seeks $4.5 billion federal backing, outlines pipeline option for Rapid City
Summary
Kristen Consett of the Western Dakota Regional Water System told Rapid City’s Legal and Finance Committee that the regional project is now estimated at $4.5 billion, requires a Bureau of Reclamation feasibility study and congressional action, and will present three options including a 165‑mile pipeline from the Missouri River.
Kristen Consett, director of the Western Dakota Regional Water System, told the City of Rapid City’s Legal and Finance Committee on July 15 that the regional water project is now estimated at $4,500,000,000 and will require federal engagement to move forward. She said the group needs an act of Congress to secure a Bureau of Reclamation feasibility study.
Why it matters: Consett said the project responds to USGS findings that an area from New Underwood to Hill City is withdrawing groundwater faster than it is recharging. The plan is regional in scope and, if federally authorized, would involve transmission and distribution work that the regional board says cannot be financed locally alone.
Consett told the committee the Western Dakota team will present three alternatives during the feasibility process: a pipeline from the Missouri River above Fort Pierre to the Rapid City metro area, a regionalization approach consistent with current federal preferences, and aquifer recharge and storage. “The number is right now at $4,500,000,000,” she said, and the earlier $1.5 billion estimate did not include the pipeline, distribution or transmission costs.
On funding and timing, Consett said the measure before Congress (sponsored in the Senate by Senators Thune and Rounds) has passed the Senate and was expected to be voted on prior to the August recess; a House companion by Rep. Dusty Johnson was in markup. She told the committee the team is seeking a large federal cost share—“we're hoping for the 75%”—with the balance to come from members and a state matching component.
On engineering, Consett described the pipeline option as a roughly 165‑mile route with a 2,000‑foot lift and a 72‑inch transmission main out of the Missouri River, with smaller distribution lines into hill service areas. She said the team expects to have recommendations and materials prepared for the Bureau of Reclamation feasibility study and to unveil specific plans before the end of the year.
The committee did not take a vote on the presentation. Consett answered members’ technical and financing questions and said the Western Dakota board would continue outreach and coordination with member governments, including Rapid City and Pennington County.
