LAKE METIGOSHE — Residents and lake home owners in northeastern Bottineau County are being asked to consider hooking up to rural water.

All Seasons Water Users District will hold an informational meeting on an expansion project into that area on Nov. 7 at 6:30 p.m. in the Christian Center at Lake Metigoshe. The idea first was proposed to residents at a meeting last August.

Daniel Schaefer, general manager for ASWUD in Bottineau, said some details are still up in the air at this time, including cost. There have been some concerns from residents that the expense of the project could result in huge monthly water bills, but Schaefer said if monthly costs ultimately don’t pencil out to be reasonable, the project will not go forward.

The cost of water in the newer part of ASWUD’s existing system is $46 a month plus $7.50 per thousand gallons of water.

Survey cards were sent to 1,500 households in the five townships within the project area, which includes Lake Metigoshe, Long Lake and other developed lake areas. By filling out the cards, households will give ASWUD some sense of direction, but the Nov. 7 meeting will be an opportunity for residents to get questions answered and weigh in to a greater extent, Schaefer said.

Schaefer said residents in the expansion area currently have wells or use lake water. They also often haul water because available water isn’t suitable for consumption, he said.

“Most places are deep wells and it’s hard water. It’s not the greatest water,” he said.

The next step if residents wish to see the project go forward after the Nov. 7 meeting  is a feasibility study, which could take a few months. The project design development and easement acquisitions would follow, Schaefer said.

ASWUD would apply to the State Water Commission for grant funding. The first request would be for assistance with preliminary engineering costs in the next legislative biennium, Schaefer said. The project also is on the loan list with the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality’s State Revolving Fund.

How long before northeastern Bottineau County might see water is highly variable but will depend on water becoming available through the Northwest Area Water Supply project, Schaefer said.

“Our biggest struggle is when NAWS will be able to supply the water needed, which could be two, three, five years, depending on how things go,” he said.

NAWS will bring water from Lake Sakakawea to the Minot region and would serve as the water source for the ASWUD expansion. A preliminary NAWS water treatment facility is under construction near Max, and an intake structure has yet to be built at Snake Creek Pumping Station.