4 Major Water Projects Support South Dakota’s Growth

By Scout Nelson

South Dakota continues investing in several major water projects designed to improve long-term drinking water supplies and support future growth across the region. Water officials and community leaders are working on large projects that may serve hundreds of thousands of residents in South Dakota, Iowa, and Minnesota for decades to come.

One of the largest projects is the Lewis and Clark Regional Water System based in Tea, South Dakota. The system currently provides treated Missouri River water to about 350,000 people in 20 communities. Construction crews had positioned large concrete rings above a new Ranney well near the Missouri River to help expand the system’s water collection capacity.

The first expansion project began in 2022 and will increase water flow from 44 million gallons per day to 60 million gallons per day by 2030. Officials are also studying a second expansion that could eventually raise capacity to 165 million gallons per day to support future population and industrial growth in the region.

Another important project involves the WEB Water Development Association system. The WEB system supplies water to counties in South Dakota and North Dakota. Officials are currently completing an $82 million upgrade that will increase treatment plant capacity from 11 million gallons per day to 17 million gallons per day.

The Western Dakota Regional Water System is also moving forward with plans for a major pipeline from the Missouri River to western South Dakota and the Black Hills area.

"It's needed for economic development, for agriculture, for tourism, for tribal nations and for national security resiliency," Kristen Conzet, executive director of the system, told News Watch.

The proposed Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System also remains in development. Officials said the large project may take more than 20 years to complete but will help support future economic growth and water security across eastern South Dakota and neighboring states.

"Western South Dakota faces a clear and growing water challenge," Dusty Johnson, South Dakota told House member, said. “This is not just a local priority; it’s a national security imperative.”

Photo Credit: istock-dorin-s