Grand Forks Traill Water District is planning a $5 million project to extend rural water service to about 150 new customers in Grand Forks and Traill counties.
The rural water district recently received a $3.7 million grant through the North Dakota State Water Commission to provide water to people who now have access only to well water with nitrate and arsenic levels that may exceed state and federal limits.
The project will address those problems as well as provide service to others in the far reaches of the district who may not have rural water service, according to Manager Neil Breidenbach.
"We're not sure we're going to be able to get everybody that wants it, but we'll try to get as many as we can," he said.
The 140 miles of pipes will likely be installed starting in late August with construction continuing into next year.
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First come, first served for water
GF-Traill currently has about 2,300 hook-ups, serving about 10,000 people in rural Grand Forks County and northern Traill County in North Dakota, and some customers in Polk and Marshall counties in Minnesota.
The expansion is the biggest project since the district first started providing rural water in 1971.
The grant, funded by North Dakota oil extraction tax, will pay 75 percent of installation costs. Grand Forks Traill will finance the remaining $1.3 million through a low-interest loan through the Bank of North Dakota.
On average, it will cost about $32,000 per new customer to install the lines.
New residential customers will be required to pay a $1,000 membership fee, along with a minimum monthly rate of $55 for up to 1,000 gallons, plus $5.05 per 1,000 gallons above the minimum.
The expansion will be done on a first-come, first-served basis and the project will end when the grant money is depleted.
The water district is asking those interested in the project to contact the district by early July.
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For more information, contact the district office in rural Thompson, N.D., at (701) 599-2963.
Reach Bonham at (701) 780-1110; (800) 477-6572, ext. 1110; or send email to kbonham@gfherald.com .
