LAMOURE, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Senator John Hoeven today hosted a roundtable discussion in LaMoure with local officials to review the city’s plans for a new sanitary sewer system and the steps in advancing the project.

Hoeven serves on the Energy and Water Appropriations Committee, which helps serve cases like LaMoure’s. Legislators were able to secure $3.9 million in funding towards the new system.

“A safe and reliable water system is vital to the well-being and prosperity of our residents and businesses,” Hoeven said. “We worked hard to ensure that Army Corps funds would be available to support the City of LaMoure’s efforts to upgrade this system. With this federal support in place, the city is pursuing an ambitious timeline. We continue our efforts to help move this project forward.”

Mayor Craig Good stated that having the funds will help alleviate the serious threat towards residents’ health and property.

“As mayor of the City of LaMoure, I would like to say that we are thrilled to be receiving these funds to improve our sanitary sewer system,” Mayor Good said. “Flooding and groundwater infiltration have been a serious threat to our residents’ health and property, and this investment in a new system will mean long-term peace of mind for the community.”

The city’s current sanitary sewer system uses clay pipes that date back to the 1930’s and 1940’s. High levels of ground water along the James River threaten to overwhelm and collapse the sewer.

The city is now working with the Army Corps to move through the final steps of securing the funds and plans to finish all preliminary planning and design work this spring. With those steps completed, bidding and construction could begin this summer and be completed in 2017.