Work is progressing on the Northwest Area Water Supply (NAWS) project.
The project will bring Missouri River water to Minot and other cities in northwest North Dakota. Right now, water is being supplied from an aquifer in the Minot area.
Construction continues on the biota water treatment plant at Max. And state Department of Water Resources director Andrea Travnicek said work is being done at the Snake Creek pumping facility.
"Knowing that we have to get the appropriate size of pumps to move water from the lake up to the biota treatment plant, then ultimately up to Minot, and getting those pipelines in place for the intake and discharge pipes, is a challenge," Travnicek said.
Travnicek said the biggest hurdles moving forward for NAWS could be construction inflation and supply-chain issues.
"The goal would be to hopefully begin moving water from the lake by the end of 2024 or the beginning of 2025," Travnicek said.
The project’s price tag is $435 million.