NAWS to seek cash advances
By JILL SCHRAMM, Staff Writer jschramm@minotdailynews.com
POSTED: June 19, 2008
BISMARCK – The City of Minot will be asked to advance $6 million to the Northwest Area Water Supply project to keep construction moving forward on pipelines to Kenmare and Mohall.
Michelle Klose, NAWS project manager with the North Dakota Water Commission, said both the state and the city will be asked to front money so that contracts can be let this summer to begin pipeline construction to the two cities and to build a pipeline for an All Seasons Water Users District project near Bottineau.
The advances would put cash on the table to allow bidding. The money would be reimbursed during the next federal fiscal year, which begins in October. Without an advance, construction would have to wait until after October. Klose said the objective is to complete 10 miles of the line to Kenmare this year.
A committee of the Garrison Diversion Conservancy District and the State Water Commission on Wednesday gave NAWS $670,000 from the $1.97 million that remained unallocated in its federal 2008 appropriation. NAWS previously had received more than $9.8 million as its share of the 2008 appropriation.
Klose said NAWS had requested the full $1.97 million from the Municipal, Rural and Industrial Committee. However, the South Central Regional Water project also requested money to serve additional water users. The committee awarded South Central $1.3 million.
The committee directed NAWS to work with the State Water Commission regarding a possible $1.3 million advance to cover the amount that it came up short. Klose said she already had been drafting a request to the City of Minot for a $6 million advance from the city’s sales tax fund for NAWS. That fund contains around $25 million. The city has advanced money in the past and has been reimbursed.
The State Water Commission will discuss NAWS when it meets Monday. In addition to deciding on an advance, the commission will determine whether to accept a NAWS Advisory Committee recommendation to move up plans for building a pipeline in the Bottineau area.
All Seasons Water Users District, a future NAWS customer, is extending service to Upham. The existing All Seasons pipeline that the Upham project must tap into isn’t large enough to accommodate the additional users so All Seasons needs to build a parallel pipe. NAWS plans another, larger pipe in that area someday to replace the All Seasons line. Building that NAWS pipeline now would eliminate the need for All Seasons to build a parallel line, reducing duplication and cost to water users.
Klose said both the Kenmare and Mohall projects are still in the design phase. Plans are to extend the pipeline that runs from Minot to Berthold to bring water to the cities. Some work on both the Kenmare and Mohall lines can be conducted simultaneously if funding is available.
If construction starts this year, the Kenmare project could be completed by the end of 2009 and the Mohall project in 2010.
Ryan Ackerman, Kenmare’s city engineer with Ackerman-Estvold Engineering & Management Consulting, said Kenmare should know in a couple of weeks what its local costs will be. Kenmare will be responsible for connecting the NAWS pipeline with its distribution system and for construction of an elevated storage tank.
Kenmare will receive a Community Development Block Grant for up to 65 percent of the cost of the pipeline connection. The city has a low-interest loan through the North Dakota Health Department to cover the remaining cost, Ackerman said. The city will be seeking funding assistance on the water tank as well.
Until NAWS water becomes available, Kenmare plans to blend Minot water with its current water supply to address water quality issues.
The City of Mohall isn’t anticipating much cost to connect with the NAWS pipeline.
NAWS would bring Missouri River water to Minot and communities beyond. An environmental study on proposed treatment methods for the water should be completed this fall.
