The Red River Valley Water Supply Project (RRVWSP) user base is growing. The Cities of Carrington, Cooperstown, and Valley City, as well as the McLean-Sheridan Rural Water District recently signed Memorandums of Commitment to join the RRVWSP.

Tom Erdmann is the Mayor of Carrington and the City’s representative on the Lake Agassiz Water Authority (LAWA) Board of Directors. LAWA is a co-sponsor of the RRVWSP alongside the Garrison Diversion Conservancy District (Garrison Diversion) which is headquartered in Carrington. 

“Our aquifer is presently a tremendous asset to our community. The Red River Valley Water Supply in the addition to our excellent Carrington aquifer will help us during drought conditions,” says Mayor Erdmann. “Additionally, we project a potential need for industrial water in the event we could become a site for another value-added processing plant. Carrington is located in the center of the state with excellent infrastructure running through our community with access to the two major railroads, an unrestricted highway system, and all the amenities that another value-added agriculture processing plant might be looking for.”

The City of Carrington nominated for 0.50 cubic feet per second (cfs) of water. In addition to the future economic development opportunities the RRVWSP will provide, Carrington already benefits from an economic boost due to construction activities in Foster County. The 2024 construction season brought more than 100 workers to live and work in the city.

“We have seen a substantial increase in our sales tax collection. We presently have a two percent local sales tax that generated $1.08 million in 2023. As of the first 10 months of 2024, we are $184,000 ahead of last year’s record sales tax collection. We are seeing an immediate impact from the construction activities on the pipeline,” says Mayor Erdmann. “In addition to the construction activities, there are engineers on the site who live here in Carrington, and Garrison Diversion has added employees due to the workload associated with the project.”

Valley City nominated for 2.00 cubic feet per second (cfs) of water from the RRVWSP. Dave Carlsrud, Valley City’s Mayor, is also its representative on the LAWA Board of Directors. He says participation in the RRVWSP is essentially an insurance policy for residents and businesses.

“We have been blessed with our aquifers so far. But we don’t know what would happen during a drought. The Red River Valley Water Supply Project is insurance for us,” says Mayor Carlsrud. “Joining provides peace of mind, especially for elected officials because we have to answer the tough questions if Valley City doesn’t have enough water. This is the right thing to do for the next generation.”

Beyond the need for an emergency supply of water, Mayor Carlsrud says access to a supplemental water supply is valuable for economic development because it will make it easier for Valley City to recruit new businesses.

Christine Olson, Cooperstown City Auditor, says with the RRVWSP transmission pipeline’s proximity so close to Cooperstown, it only makes sense to participate. The city nominated for 0.20 cfs.

“Participation ensures a water source for the future as well as allowing for future growth, whether commercial or residential,” explains Olson. She says joining the RRVWSP will, “allow the opportunity to say ‘yes’ should a high-water using industry want to locate in Cooperstown.”

Ann Broussard, McLean-Sheridan Rural Water District Manager, says the District’s Board of Directors made the decision to participate in the RRVWSP primarily due to potential economic development initiatives that are being considered in the service area. A number of these potential initiatives would need large volumes of water. “If McLean-Sheridan Rural Water were to add only one or two bulk users to our system, the financial benefits to our existing customers would be significant. Growth in our water sales helps stabilize water rates for everyone served by our system, now and in the future,” Broussard explains. McLean-Sheridan nominated for 0.42 cfs.

The four water providers join the City of Fargo which will serve West Fargo and Cass Rural Water, as well as Grand Forks which will provide service to East Grand Forks, Minn. Both Hillsboro and Mayville have also signed an MOC.