(NDAgConnection.com) – At the North Dakota State Water Commission meeting chaired by Lt. Governor Brent Sanford Tuesday, the Commission approved $61.2 million in cost-share requests. The Commission voted to approve funding for several municipal, regional, and rural water supply projects, as well as projects related to flood control, and general water.

The Water Commission supports local sponsors in development of sustainable water-related projects in North Dakota through the Department of Water Resources (DWR) Cost-Share Program. The primary purpose of the DWR Cost-Share Program is to assist local project sponsors with financial support of water development projects — making them more affordable to local constituents.

The largest cost-share approval at today’s meeting included $46.6 million in federal Municipal, Rural and Industrial (MR&I) Water Supply Program funding for the Northwest Area Water Supply (NAWS) project. The funding approved for NAWS will be used to continue advancements on the Biota Water Treatment Plant near Max, North Dakota, and for Minot Water Treatment Plant Phase III efforts. Once completed, at least 16 public water systems and 81,000 people will be served by NAWS.

“Providing Missouri River water to northwest North Dakota, including Minot, is vitally important and has been a long time coming, from the initial authorization of NAWS in 1986 to numerous legal and other challenges that had to be overcome,” Sanford said. “We’re grateful to the State Water Commission and DWR for their continued support of NAWS and other cost-share projects, making them more affordable to local residents while providing essential water supplies, flood protection and other critical infrastructure that supports long-term economic and community growth.”

Andrea Travnicek, director of the Department of Water Resources said, “It’s important to point out that robust oil extraction tax revenues into the state’s Resources Trust Fund are what make DWR’s partnership with these projects even possible from a financial perspective. Since the start of the biennium, we’ve seen oil extraction taxes and other deposits into the Resources Trust Fund total about $261 million, which has allowed the Commission to approve state funds of over $235 million for water projects in rural areas and cities of all sizes from across the state.”

The 10-member Water Commission consists of Gov. Doug Burgum as chairman, Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring, and eight members appointed by the governor to serve six-year terms.