Project Components
1
Pre-Pumped Treated Water to Tribe
The tribe’s preferred option is to pump pre-treated water from South Dakota across the Missouri River into Santee. This alternative connects the Nation to Randall Community Water District (RCWD) in Lake Andes, South Dakota. RCWD is a rural water system within South Dakota that treats Missouri River surface water upstream of the Fort Randall Dam.
One of the many benefits of this alternative is that the Nation would not be responsible for water treatment, or O&M costs associated with a complex water treatment facility. The Nation’s main responsibility would be distribution pipeline maintenance.
2
Adequate
Water Storage
The project will also include a new elevated water storage tank. Water from the elevated storage tank will flow by gravity to the 110,000-gallon Aqua store tank located south of the Village of Santee. Besides serving the Casino and Village of Santee, this tank will also serve the remaining portions of the Nation. For example, the housing development just West of the casino would have adequate water and potentially proceed with additional development. Rural farms, ranches, and tribal housing located within the Nation would have a reliable water supply after connecting to the proposed tank.
3
Infrastructure Improvements
And, to complete the project the tribe intends to install meters to assist in monitoring water usage, leaks, and promote water conservation.
