This bill directs the Secretary of the Interior to carry out a feasibility study of a proposed project to expand the Lewis & Clark Regional Water System to supply municipal, rural, and industrial water in parts of Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota. The Secretary must work with the non-Federal project entity (the Lewis and Clark Rural Water System, Inc., and any nonprofit successor) and consult with Federal, State, Tribal, regional, and local authorities. After the study, the Secretary must produce a feasibility report that recommends whether the project should be authorized for construction and recommends an appropriate non-Federal share of construction costs. The report must be submitted to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the House Committee on Natural Resources and made publicly available.
If you live in parts of Iowa, Minnesota, or South Dakota served or potentially served by the Lewis & Clark Regional Water System, this bill starts an official government study to see if a water supply expansion is feasible. The bill does not itself authorize construction or require any new water service. Any future construction would depend on the study, the Secretary's recommendation, and later authorizations or agreements.
The bill requires a cost‑sharing agreement between the Secretary and the non-Federal project entity. The Federal share of the feasibility study costs may not exceed 50 percent. For any recommended construction, the non‑Federal share must be at least 25 percent of total construction costs and will be set after an analysis of the non‑Federal entities' ability to pay construction and operations, maintenance, and replacement costs. The bill authorizes $10,000,000 to be appropriated to carry out the study. No publicly available information on total project construction costs or estimated long‑term funding needs is provided in the bill text.
No publicly available information.
No publicly available information.