Hearing scheduled for Lewis & Clark Water System

Posted on Tuesday, May 27, 2008

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - Lewis and Clark Rural Water System officials hope a U.S. Senate Energy Committee field-hearing in Sioux Falls will convince Congress of the need to fund rural water projects.

Democratic Senator Tim Johnson requested today's hearing. Johnson says it's important for lawmakers to get out of Washington and learn more about water projects.

President Bush provided nothing in the 2009 budget for water systems.

Congress budgeted $21 million for the Lewis and Clark pipeline in 2007 and $26 million in 2008.

The $537 million project is designed to pump water from wells near Vermillion to parts of South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa.