WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg today announced $5 Million for the Rocky Boy’s/North Central Montana Regional Water Authority’s drinking water project. The funding was included in the Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee bill for Fiscal Year 2010.
"Helping bring safe drinking water to the people of North Central Montana has been a top priority of mine," said Rehberg, a member of the House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee. "Working along-side the tribal and other dedicated community leaders, thousands of residents in rural Montana now have access to clean drinking water for years to come."
The Rocky Boy’s/North Central Water Project is a municipal, rural and industrial water system proposed for an eight county area in north central Montana. It will serve the Rocky Boy’s Reservation and thirteen surrounding communities through a partnership between Montana’s Chippewa Cree Tribe and its non-Tribal Partners in the North Central Montana Regional Water Authority. Poor quality drinking water, major water supply constraints and the high costs for compliance with federal Safe Drinking Water Act regulations established a critical need for funding this project. In fact, some of the affected communities are already under federal mandate to improve their drinking water systems and others are on boil orders. The North Central Water Project will deliver water to roughly 30,000 Montanans. The project will also provide infrastructure to pipe water to the Rocky Boy’s Reservation.
"The Authority can't thank Congressman Rehberg enough for his hard work on the Appropriations Committee and the fact that he again secured federal dollars for the construction of the Rocky Boy's/North Central Montana Regional Water System," said Dan Keil, Chairman, North Central Montana Regional Water Authority. "Congressman Rehberg knows that many of the 23 communities that make up the North Central Montana Regional Water Authority need immediate help for their water systems and we are appreciative of his efforts to get this System built. Someday this water project will deliver clean and safe drinking water to over 30,000 Montanans who desperately need it."
