The Time is Now: Advancing Federal Authorization for WDRWS

For over four years, the Western Dakota Regional Water System (WDRWS) has worked toward one goal: building a reliable, sustainable water supply for Western South Dakota. Every meeting, study, and partnership has led to obtaining congressional authorization for a Bureau of Reclamation Feasibility Study.

This authorization is not procedural; it is transformative. It allows the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) to formally partner with WDRWS and conduct the in-depth technical, environmental, and economic analyses required to advance toward construction and federal cost sharing. Without it, the project cannot move from planning to implementation.

Western South Dakota’s water future depends on diversification and long-term reliability. Current aquifer systems face increasing demand and periodic drought. A BOR Feasibility Study will quantify those pressures, test regional solutions, and determine the most sustainable path forward for communities, agriculture, and industry.

Federal authorization would elevate WDRWS from a regional effort to a federally recognized infrastructure partnership—aligning it with other successful rural water systems across the Great Plains that have ensured economic growth and resilience for generations.

WDRWS leadership has met frequently with South Dakota’s congressional delegation, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the U.S. Department of the Interior. While our delegation recognizes the project’s importance, continued engagement from WDRWS members and residents is needed to reinforce the message that Western South Dakota stands united in its commitment to cooperation, stewardship, and a secure water future.

Now is the time for every WDRWS member, community leader, and partner to reach out. Contact your local, state, and federal representatives and express support for authorization of the Bureau of Reclamation Feasibility Study. Each message helps ensure our shared vision becomes reality.

Keep the conversation going:

• Reach out directly.
• Attend local meetings.
• Share the WDRWS message in your community.
• Reinforce that Western South Dakota is united behind this effort.

With persistence and partnership, this conversation will lead to authorization and construction of a system that serves generations to come.