By Sara Quam
Rock County Rural Water and the city of Luverne are still committed to the Lewis and Clark Rural Water System, even though its water won't reach the area until 2011.
RCRW Monday night passed a resolution recommending to the county that it stay with the project that will cost $440,000 for its share of the water service.
The Monday meeting was a result of the board needing to spend more than was first anticipated. But even with a slightly higher cost, the board voted to support the project. The cost figure uses 2001 dollars and could increase by the time the water reaches the county.
RCRW manager Dan Cook and Lewis and Clark director Pam Bonrud presented the Rock County Board of Commissioners a progress report at last weekÕs County Board meeting.
They noted that most recently, Lewis and Clark has been testing sites south of Vermillion, S.D., for future well sites. The test sites will give crews ideas on how to construct and pump from the wells.
Bonrud said, "We should let people know that a lot is going on with the project, but it's quiet work right now."
Lewis and Clark's mission is to provide the region, including 22 communities and rural water systems, better quality water and a larger quantity of water.
Luverne has been on board since the beginning, and RCRW joined shortly after. The project, which received federal authorization last year, has been in the works since 1990.
With federal authorization, projects have usually continued to be funded. However, after the events of Sept. 11 and changing national priorities, the County Board questioned whether funding can be counted on.
"All I can tell you is what history shows," Bonrud said. She said federal funding of projects with authorization has continued through different administrations and changing times in the past. She said the project may not get the full amount requested but that losing funding is unlikely.
The $2 million in appropriations promised by President Bush is still waiting to be passed but is still in the language.
Rather than seeing Sept. 11 as a threat to reducing projects like Lewis and Clark, Bonrud said it will continue to get support. "This sort of infrastructure is important to the federal government and ties in with stimulating the economy," Bonrud said.
Ideally, Lewis and Clark would like $12 million in 2003. Local financial support has come in small increments on monthly water bills, and the city of Luverne doesn't see rates increasing. RCRW said a maximum of $5 a month from its customers would cover the project over 40 years. However, it is hoping to dip into reserves or use other sources of loans to defer those costs.
RCRW is allotted an additional 300,000 gallons a day from Lewis and Clark, and Luverne increased its allotment to 750,000 gallons a day, or half of what it expects to use at high capacity.
Part of what makes Lewis and Clark an attractive offer is the cost, which is at or below what the systems can provide on their own. Other positive aspects are the water itself, which is softer than what this area already has, and the decreased risk of pollution.