Board Assigns Final Federal Water Funds in South Dakota
The South Dakota Board of Water and Natural Resources assigned the last federal ARPA dollars for drinking water and wastewater projects.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Utilities
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The South Dakota Board of Water and Natural Resources assigned the final dollars of American Rescue Plan Act funding for drinking water and wastewater projects during its November meeting. The state has used more than $703 million in federal ARPA funds for water infrastructure and quality improvement projects.
Why it matters
The assignment closes out the federal pandemic-era water funding that supported 199 projects across South Dakota. The remaining funds will shape how the state's water infrastructure is financed going forward.
The board assigned $6.1 million in final ARPA funds, bringing South Dakota's total use of federal ARPA water funding to more than $703 million. Nearly $400 million supported drinking water projects, a little less than $300 million supported wastewater and stormwater projects, and the remainder funded water quality improvements across 199 projects.
The players
South Dakota Board of Water and Natural Resources
A governor-appointed state board that oversees the assignment of water infrastructure and conservation funding in South Dakota.
Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources
South Dakota's state agency that administers the riparian buffer strip program approved by the board.
The details
The board also approved a riparian buffer strip program administered by the state's Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, along with infrastructure projects to expand water access for customers in the Mitchell area and rural Minnehaha and Moody counties. The funding originates from the American Rescue Plan Act, which Congress passed in 2021 to stimulate the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Timeline
2021: Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act.
March 2021: Then-President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act into law.
2025: Secretary Hunter Roberts told lawmakers ARPA funding led to a water renaissance.
November 2026: The board assigned the final ARPA water funding at its November meeting.
Early November 2026: The board approved the riparian buffer and water access projects.
Legacy Funding
The final assignment closes the water-infrastructure portion of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which provided $1.9 trillion nationally to stimulate the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. South Dakota now moves from federally funded expansion to whatever state and local financing replaces it.
Residents served by the Mitchell area and rural Minnehaha and Moody county water systems may see new water access options as the approved projects proceed. Households in South Dakota should expect continued water infrastructure work as the federal ARPA money winds down.
The takeaway
With federal pandemic money now fully assigned, South Dakota's water infrastructure will depend increasingly on state and local budgets. Residents should watch for how future project costs are financed.
Further reading
Explore more on how state water systems are funded in the Utilities section.
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