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The $5.86 million in federal stimulus funds for North Central Rural Water Consortium projects comes as relief to residents in western McLean and southern Ward counties.

"We need something a whole lot better than this," Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., said Friday as he held up a jug of dark brown liquid from a well in the Ryder-Makoti area.

The rancher whose well produced the water has to haul water for his 400 head of cattle, said Ralph Packulak, president of the consortium in Minot.

Dorgan held a news conference at the Minot airport Friday to talk about $18.3 million in the federal economic recovery package for water projects across North Dakota. Dorgan, who chairs the Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, said the projects will create jobs while speeding up the time table for construction of water projects.

"It's a big investment but it's going to produce assets for decades and decades ahead," he said. "The ability to get this funding is going to move up anywhere from three to four years the delivery of good, quality water to a lot of families in this region."

Packulak said funding for water projects often is difficult to obtain so the stimulus money will make a significant difference in how long people must continue to wait for water. He said some families have been on the waiting list with North Prairie Rural Water for 30 years.

"It's here now," he said. "We have signed up like you wouldn't believe. They want the water. Water is a very important aspect to life."

Federal funding that is in addition to the stimulus dollars is allowing projects to go forward south and east of Minot and in the Benedict and Anamoose areas this year. All told, federally aided projects of the consortium will bring water to at least 1,375 new customers this year.

The stimulus package includes:

- $3.1 million to construct a new water transmission pipeline, concrete storage facility and pump station to deliver treated water to Ryder and Makoti and rural Ward County.

- $2.3 million to expand water service to rural residents of western McLean and southern Ward counties whose wells are often high in iron, manganese, sodium and arsenic.

- $480,000 to construct water transmission pipelines to enable Central Plains Rural Water to serve rural Wells, Stutsman and Kidder counties.

In addition, McKenzie County Rural Water will receive more than $4.8 million to expand the water supply system in McKenzie County, which experiences declining flow rates and pressures, degraded quality and unreliable water service.

"I know this money is going to be put to good use. This is a good investment for our country," Dorgan said.