CRAMER: Favorable Court Decision for North Dakota Water

Statement

Congressman Kevin Cramer made the following comments today on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia announcing the Bureau of Reclamation has satisfied its National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements for the Northwest Area Water Supply (NAWS) project and dismissed legal action taken against the project by the State of Missouri and the Province of Manitoba.

"This water supply project is critical for safe and reliable water to the City of Minot and the surrounding area," said Cramer. "The project will also promote economic and population growth in the region. I will continue to support North Dakota's beneficial use of Missouri River water for this project and others under consideration."

According to the Bureau of Reclamation the project uses the Missouri River 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. Missouri River water 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. In Minot, 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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