NEWS RELEASE:
CARRINGTON, ND (May 20, 2024) — 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.
“The Water Assistance Grant Program is a relatively new program but continues to gain momentum and popularity with each construction season. We are very proud this program has become life changing for some individuals and families that couldn’t afford to install rural water without financial assistance,” says Geneva Kaiser, Chair of Garrison Diversion’s MR&I Committee.
In May, the MR&I Committee awarded $128,037 to 21 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:
• Barnes Rural Water District – $42,078 for five customer hookups
• Cass Rural Water Users District – $23,656 for four customer hookups
• Central Plains Water District – $10,000 for one customer hookup
• McKenzie County Water Resource District – $20,384 for four customer hookups
• Southeast Water Users District – $11,000 for two customer hookups
• Stutsman Rural Water District – $18,790 for four customer hookups
• North Prairie Regional Water District – $2,129 for one customer hookup
There are two grant application periods each year. The next deadline for new customer hookup applications is August 1. There continues to be no deadline on extraordinary OM&R projects, 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.