NEWS RELEASE:
CARRINGTON, ND (May 22, 2025) — The Garrison Diversion Conservancy District’s (Garrison Diversion) MR&I Water Supply Assistance Grant Program provides funding assistance to offset the costs of new customer hookups to a rural water system or district within Garrison Diversion’s member counties.
The Water Supply Assistance Grant Program is also in place to aid municipal water systems or districts with extraordinary OM&R projects or emergencies impacting the delivery of water to users, introduce health and safety issues, or bring potential harm to other infrastructure if not repaired.
“Rural water provides a better quality of life for North Dakota citizens, and strengthens our rural communities,” says MR&I Committee Chair Larry Kassian. “Garrison Diversion is proud to support rural water in North Dakota, and this program is an excellent example of giving back to our district.”
In May, the MR&I Committee awarded a program high $302,076 to 49 rural water users in the district for residential, livestock and business use.
The following systems had projects receiving funding from the Water Supply Assistance Grant Program:
• All Seasons Water Users District – $46,407 for five customer hookups
• Barnes Rural Water District – $45,988 for seven customer hookups
• Cass Rural Water – $32,761 for four customer hookups
• Central Plains Water District – $20,753 for five customer hookups
• Dakota Rural Water District – $9,558 for two customer hookups
• East Central Regional Water District – $19,011 for two customer hookups
• Greater Ramsey Water District – $7,016 for one customer hookup
• McKenzie County Rural Water – $5,696 for three customer hookups
• McLean-Sheridan Rural Water District – $1,911 for one customer hookup
• North Prairie Regional Water District – $4,750 for one customer hookup
• South Central Regional Water District – $10,000 for one customer hookup
• Southeast Water Users District – $42,225 for five customer hookups
• Stutsman Rural Water District – $56,000 for 12 customer hookups
There are two grant application periods each year. The next deadline for new customer hookup applications is August 1, although emergency requests are considered as needed. There continues to be no deadline on extraordinary OM&R projects for municipalities, as these will occur on an as-needed basis.
Eligibility requirements state the applicant must reside within one of Garrison Diversion’s 28 member counties, must be or have a member sponsor that is a political subdivision (municipality or rural water district), and a municipality must serve a population of 5,000 people or less.
Grant guidelines and applications can be found at www.garrisondiversion.org.