The Department of the Interior announced (Dec. 3, 2024) a $849 million investment from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to revitalize aging water delivery systems across the West. The funding supports 77 projects in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah and Washington to improve water conveyance and storage, increase safety, improve hydropower generation, and provide water treatment. This includes 14 projects totaling $118.3 million in the Colorado River Basin. Projects connected to South Dakota include: SCADA System Replacement Reclamation Funding: $1,835,000 This project will replace the outdated and supported PLC control panels in all booster and control valve stations, as well as replace the central control unit with new servers that operate updated versions of Windows and SCADA software. The system telemetry will also be replaced to optimize and secure the communication methodologies. Funding is provided for planning and design activities. Potato Creek Tower Installation Reclamation Funding: $1,100,000 The project will improve the service area of the Potato Creek Tower currently experiencing low pressure dips below the allowable Safe Drinking Water Act. A new tower at the proposed location is the most feasible way to address the low pressure and ensure continued service during repair periods. Funding is provided for planning and design activities. Porcupine and East of Sharps Pipeline Replacement Reclamation Funding: $705,000 The project will construct 2,000 linear feet (LF) of 12-inch HDPE water main in the Porcupine area and 9,000 LF of HDPE water main East of Sharps Corner. This new pipe will replace existing waterlines that are failing and causing system leaks/breaks. Funding is provided for planning and design activities. Booster Station Controls Replacement Reclamation Funding: $500,000 The project will replace 47 variable frequency drives at 17 different booster stations throughout the water system. Funding is provided for planning and design activities, and subsequently a portion of implementation. Water Treatment Plant (WTP) Rehabilitation Reclamation Funding: $434,000 The project includes asphalt repair and chip sealing the parking lots and driving lanes, replace existing WTP roof or remove and reset/replace heaved and cracked pavers and repair exposed membrane and damaged ballasts, and HVAC rehabilitation. Funding is provided for planning and design activities. North Core SCADA Replacement Reclamation Funding: $355,500 This project will replace existing discontinued control components with modern components; replace low speed, low bandwidth, low reliability aging serial communications with updated communications and redundancy system; and replace existing enclosures with updated panel layouts and documentation. Funding is provided for planning and design activities. Rockyford Pipe Replacement Reclamation Funding: $262,000 The replacement will include an eight-inch water main parallel to the existing three-inch water main to maintain system capacity and address pressure deficiencies. Funding is provided for planning and design activities. North Dakota: Standing Rock Area Meter Project  Reclamation Funding: $500,000 Funding is provided for the remainder of the project including the replacement of three Master Meter vaults and SCADA modernization to two Control Vaults on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation. Funding will be for design and implementation. The announcement follows the release of five alternatives earlier this month that will be analyzed as part of the Post-2026 Operations for the Colorado River Basin. Since Day One of the Biden-Harris administration, the Department has led critical discussions over how to bring the Colorado River back from the brink of crisis in the face of an unprecedented 24-year drought. Having achieved overwhelming success in 2023 on interim operation plans to guide operations through 2026 with a historic consensus agreement, and following more than a year of collaboration with the states and Tribes who call the Colorado River Basin home, the release of alternatives is the next step in a responsible path to guide post-2026 operations for the Colorado River. The projects selected for funding are found in all the major river basins and regions where Reclamation operates. Among the 77 projects selected for funding are efforts to restore canal capacity, sustain water treatment for Tribes, replace equipment for hydropower production and provide necessary maintenance to aging project buildings. To view a full list of projects selected as part of today’s announcement, visit Bureau of Reclamation’s website.