Cramer Welcomes Bureau of Reclamation Decision on NAWS

Press Release

Congressman Kevin Cramer welcomed the announcement the United States Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) signed a Record of Decision selecting the preferred alternative proposed for the Northwest Area Water Supply Project (NAWS). The project is designed to deliver a bulk water supply to meet municipal and rural water needs of people in northwestern North Dakota. This final decision implements the preferred alternative identified in the NAWS Project Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS). The SEIS is available for download at www.usbr.gov/gp.

"I am thankful the Bureau of Reclamation has finally issued a record of decision. This project will provide a source of reliable, high quality water to communities who have experienced shortages and quality problems in the past as well as meeting the continued growth in the area," said Cramer. "North Dakotans have every right to use Missouri River water to benefit their communities. This process has gone on for over a decade and it is time for high quality water to be delivered to the people living in northwest North Dakota."

According to the Bureau of Reclamation, the selected alternative, which was evaluated in the SEIS, uses Lake Sakakawea as the primary water supply. The Bureau of Reclamation's Snake Creek Pumping Plant, located along U.S. Highway 83, will be modified to serve as the intake for the project. Water from Lake Sakakawea will be conveyed in a buried pipeline to a biota water treatment plant (WTP) near Max, North Dakota which will treat the water using conventional treatment processes. From there the water will be conveyed through another pipeline segment to the Minot WTP. At the Minot WTP, Missouri River water will be blended with groundwater and treated to meet Safe Drinking Water Act regulations before being supplied to project members through a distribution system.

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