WORTHINGTON -- At the rate that federal funding is being fed into the Lewis and Clark Rural Water System, it will take until 2041 to complete the project -- a situation that is unacceptable to many area residents who desperately need water.
A meeting with U.S. Rep. Gil Gutknecht, R-Minn., and U.S. Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, took place Thursday afternoon at the Nobles County Government Center, giving Lewis and Clark management and various Minnesota and Iowa mayors, council members and representatives a chance to reiterate their need for faster federal funding.
"We have members that need water much sooner," said Troy Larson, executive director of Lewis and Clark. "We know we're asking for a lot, but in the long run it will be saving a lot of money."
Cities in southwest Minnesota and northwest Iowa have seen potential new businesses walk away because of the lack of water.
State Sen. Jim Vickerman, DFL-Tracy, told the congressmen the situation was becoming critical.
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"We could get the best plants in here and employ 1,000 people, but we can't build it," he said. "There is not enough water."
The longer the project is delayed, the more costly it becomes. If the federal funding stays around $17 million, the final cost of the project will be approximately $769,873,000, whereas if the funding was in the $35 million range, the final cost would be closer to $549,431,000.
When the project is finished it will provide water to more than 200,000 people in an area the size of Connecticut, Larson said.
Larson explained how some cities are getting by until project completion, giving examples of water being piped from city to city.
"I hope you can see we're getting very creative to buy time until Lewis & Clark arrives," he told the congressmen. "We ask for your continued support in Washington."
Pipe is being laid in South Dakota at a cost of $1.9 million a mile, with $47 million in projects planned for 2006. For 2007, Lewis & Clark supporters are requesting federal funds of more than $53 million.
Eighty percent of the project is federally funded, 10 percent is state funded and the remaining 10 percent is funded by local project members.
The state of Iowa has paid its state share, South Dakota is accelerating funding, and a Minnesota bonding bill included $2 million with the balance being sought this year. Minnesota's share of the project is $5.5 million.
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Rep. Doug Magnus, R-Slayton, expressed difficulty in explaining how a state famous for its lakes needs to bring water in from South Dakota.
"I represent the one county in Minnesota -- Rock -- that doesn't have a lake," he said with a laugh.
Others told the congressmen how the lack of water has limited their own town or business.
Worthington Public Utility Manager Don Habicht explained that Worthington's history of a lack of water dates far back. James Hamilton of Swift & Company said the company is limited because every project it would like to do requires water.
"We bring in some good looking projects," said Worthington Mayor Al Oberloh. "But Don always says, 'Sorry, we can't provide the water.'"
Dennis Healy, chief executive officer of the Lincoln-Pipestone Rural Water System, said officials there are currently looking at stop-gap measures.
"But can we do that for 10 years? Or 20 or 30?" he asked. "We can get by for the next few years, but Lewis & Clark is basically the only option for this part of the country."
Gutknecht told the crowd he and King are doing all they can.
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"I don't have any magic answers," Gutknecht said. "The facts are our friends and we just keep telling people the facts."
