FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, January 5, 2023

MEDIA CONTACT: Brian Walsh, brian.walsh@state.sd.us

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DANR Announces More Than $103.5 Million for South Dakota Environmental Projects

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR) announced the Board of Water and Natural Resources has approved $103,548,200 in grants and loans for drinking water, wastewater, and solid waste projects in South Dakota.

The $103,548,200 total includes $72,000 in grants and $103,476,200 in low-interest loans with $790,000 in principal forgiveness to be administered by the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

“I am pleased to announce this financial assistance is available,” said DANR Secretary Hunter Roberts. “This funding will result in upgraded drinking water, wastewater, and solid waste infrastructure allowing for improved service and enhanced environmental protection.”

The grants and loans were awarded from DANR’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Program, Clean Water State Revolving Fund Program, and Solid Waste Management Program to the following:

Belle Fourche received a $72,000 Solid Waste Management Program grant to purchase a pre-shredding machine to increase on-site volume reduction of municipal solid waste at its landfill. The shredder will reduce the size of materials to be baled improving operational efficiency and extending the useful life of the landfill. The grant funds and local funds will cover the project costs.

Brookings received a $1,000,000 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan with $490,000 in principle forgiveness to replace forty-eight known lead service lines in the water distribution system. The terms of the loan are 1.875 percent for 30 years.

Brookings also received an additional $40,700,000 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan to construct a new lime softening water treatment facility along 34^th Avenue. Brookings previously received a $50,963,200 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan and a $21,039,300 American Rescue Plan Act grant for the water treatment plant construction. The project includes a new 16-inch raw water line and new 16-inch finished water line to feed into the distribution system, construction of six new municipal wells, and new 20-inch transmission main to the South Main water tower. The loan terms are 1.875 percent for 30 years.

Clay Rural Water System received a $21,843,000 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan to replace its outdated and undersized water treatment plant. The loan terms are 2.125 percent for 30 years.

Gayville received an amendment to an existing funding package for an additional $400,000 of Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan funds. The project to replace sanitary and storm sewer, construct a new lift station, and make improvements at the wastewater treatment facility was originally funded with a $1,864,900 Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan and a $2,993,100 American Rescue Plan Act grant. The additional funds were needed to address higher project costs than expected. The loan terms are 2.125 percent for 30 years.

Sioux Falls received a $17,951,000 Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan to construct a two-mile sanitary sewer trunk to extend sewer service to Basin 15. This will allow for development on the west side of the city. The loan also includes a non-point source component to make improvements in the Big Sioux River watershed. The loan terms are 1.25 percent for 20 years.

Sturgis received a $10,339,000 Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan to replace inadequate sanitary sewer mains. Portions of the existing main will remain but will function better once flow is partially diverted to the new main. This will address surcharge/backflow issues and will reduce operation costs. The terms of the loan are 2.125 percent for 30 years.

Terry Trojan Water Project District received a $700,000 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan with $300,000 in principle forgiveness. The project includes replacing water meters with water pits and installing an automatic reading system. The upgrades allow the district to read meters remotely, lowering labor requirements and increasing the amount and speed of usage information available to operators. The terms of the loan are 1.875 percent for 10 years.  The district also has $375,000 from a previous grant that will be put towards the project.

Tripp County Water Users District received an amendment to an existing funding package for an additional $9,500,000 of Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan funds. Tripp County WUD previously received a $9,250,000 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan and a $4,050,000 American Rescue Plan Act grant for the water system improvements. The project includes replacement of two storage tanks, paralleling and looping of lines to increase water pressure, and expansion of the well field to address supply issues. The terms of the loan are 0.0 percent for 30 years.

Vermillion received a $1,043,200 Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan to design and build a new leachate pond to increase leachate storage capacity at the landfill. The new leachate pond will have a four-layer base liner system to minimize infiltration, a leak detection system to monitor leaks within the base liner system, and a drain tile system to remove any groundwater accumulating beneath the new leachate pond. The loan terms are 2 percent for 20 years.

The Solid Waste Management Program provides grants and loans for solid waste disposal, recycling, and waste tire projects. The Legislature annually appropriates dedicated funding for the Solid Waste Management Program through the Governor’s Omnibus Water Funding Bill.

The State of South Dakota and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency fund the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Programs, which provide low-interest loans for wastewater, storm water, water conservation, nonpoint source projects, and public drinking water system projects. The programs are funded through a combination of federal appropriations, loan repayments, and bonds.

The board approved the funding at today’s meeting in Pierre.

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