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CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) Oil activity in North Dakota is helping rural water districts statewide thanks to the collection of money from oil taxation pouring into the state resource trust fund.

Barnes Rural Water District manager Perry Kapaun says thanks to a $4.5 million grant from the state a majority of the money will be used for upgrades at their water treatment plant near Urbana.

Valley City senator Larry Robinson says statewide money for projects like this has grown from $20 million annually to over $500 million thanks to the resource trust fund.

Kapaun thanked the State Water Commission, Governor Jack Dalrymple and many other legislators who made the grant possible for rural water districts across the state.