WASHINGTON, D.C. (NMB) – The U.S. Interior Department has announced that three local rural water projects in Montana will be receiving a total of $101.5 million in investments through the bipartisan infrastructure bill that was passed last year.
The Rocky Boy’s/North Central Montana Regional Water System will be receiving $57.5 million to support continuing the build out of the system. According to a press release, this includes “core and non-core pipeline segments and the water treatment plant that will serve the Chippewa Cree Tribe, Havre, Tiber, Big Sandy, and Loma service areas.
The Musselshell-Judith Rural Water System is receiving $37 million to support phase 2 of the rural water distribution network, while the Fort Peck Reservation/Dry Prairie Water System is receiving $7 million to support continued advancement of the Fort Peck Reservation Western project distribution pipelines.
The announcement is the first round of $1 billion in total funding to complete all authorized rural water projects through the Bureau of Reclamation.
In total, the infrastructure bill allocated $194 million for the Rocky Boys/North Central Water System, about $56 million for the Musselshell-Judith Water System, and around $17 million for the Fort Peck/Dry Prairie Water System
U.S. Senator Jon Tester was one of the lead negotiators of the bill, and his office says he “specifically secured the provision that includes these investments for Montana rural water projects.”
