The Bureau of Reclamation announced Oct. 15 plans to repair the Mni Wiconi Core Water Pipeline in South Dakota.
The effort, which took place between Oct. 19 - 21, focused on making repairs in and around Ft. Pierre. The work restricted watering lawns, washing vehicles, filling pools, as well as other non-essential uses.
“To facilitate repairs, mandatory water restrictions are being implemented for the Mni Wiconi Rural Water Supply System until further notice,” Dakotas Area Office Manager Joe Hall said, according to the Bureau of Reclamation. “Reclamation is asking all users in the impacted area to implement water conservation measures immediately until further notice.”
The Bureau of Reclamation notes that the following rural water service providers could have been affected:
West River/Lyman-Jones Rural Water, Lower Brule Rural Water, Rosebud Rural Water, and Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Water Maintenance and Conservation. This includes all or parts of the counties of Stanley, Haakon, Lyman, Jones, Jackson, Mellette, Pennington, Todd, Bennett, and Oglala Lakota, formerly known as Shannon.
According to the statement by BOR, the Mni Wiconi Rural Water Supply System serves an area covering 12,500 square miles.
"The Mni Wiconi Water Treatment Plant/Coreline is the largest Native American/Tribal Water System in the United States, providing potable water to 10 counties in South Dakota through the Oglala Sioux Rural Water Supply System," a press release by the BOR stated. "The service area includes a 12,500 square mile area, which is approximately one-sixth the total area of South Dakota."
The system, which pumps directly from the Missouri River, has been in operation since 2002, according to Mni Wiconi.
Residents are encouraged to contact their local water providers with questions about how their service water may have been impacted, according to the release.
