Economic Impact of South Dakota’s Regional Water Systems

Abstract

Regional water systems are a primary conduit of water supply for much of South Dakota’s rural and small community populations. As of 2006, greater than one-third of South Dakota’s population was served by water supplied from regional water systems, and when Lewis and Clark Rural Water delivers water to Sioux Falls, over one-half of South Dakota’s population will be served by regional water systems. Greater than 75% of incorporated communities with public water supplies are served by regional water systems, either as bulk communities or as individual customers. Many farms and agricultural industries use rural water for domestic use, livestock watering, and industrial processing. These users have connected to regional water systems to obtain a reliable, safe, and high quality water source. This report summarizes the results of a study of the economic impacts of regional water systems in South Dakota. The scope of this study was limited to soliciting financial information from South Dakota’s regional rural water systems using this information to quantify direct, indirect, and induced economic impacts of these systems as a result of their construction and annual operations