Water System Master Plan Implementation: Belcourt, ND

Background

The Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians (TMBCI), which owns the community’s water and wastewater systems, developed a water system master plan in November 2007 for its growing urban and rural population and rapidly degrading water infrastructure. The systems are operated and maintained by the Turtle Mountain Public Utilities Commission (TMPUC). The main requirement established by TMBCI was that the master plan be a forward-looking, living document to guide water system improvements for both long-term and critical short-term needs. The master plan needed to be structured to meet the United States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) requirements for a final engineering report while expanding the scope to address critical needs identified by the TMBCI to properly allocate limited funds to maximize project benefits.

The Project

The project consisted of evaluating existing facilities and immediate needs and future needs. The evaluation of existing facilities included developing a complete water system hydraulic model, which required integrating rural water modeling techniques with urban modeling techniques. Upon completion of the master plan, the TMBCI system was determined to have more than $80 million in water system improvement needs.

Project Progress

Below is a brief list of projects completed by TMBCI through the guidance of the master plan. This list is not comprehensive but shows the effectiveness of a well-executed plan. One example of the master plan’s impact is Quentin N. Burdick Memorial Hospital, one of Turtle Mountain Public Utilities’ most critical customers, which received significant water service upgrades and system redundancies through Phase 6 of the Belcourt Water and Sewer Infrastructure Improvement project series. These improvements enhanced system reliability and helped safeguard patient care.

• Core 5 — Reservoir A and B Areas
• Core 12 — Belcourt Loop Improvements
• New Belcourt Tower
• Reservoir C Replacement
• Core 11 — Kent Addition and Betty’s Corner
• Corridor 1 — BIA 7 Improvements
• Core 3 — Howard Lake BIA 6
• Core 6 — Gordon Lake
• Core 1 — Lake Shutte
• Core 8 — Belcourt Lake Area BIA 3, 5, and 23
• 1st Water Treatment Expansion to 2400 GPM
• Supply Increment to 2400 GPM
• Reservoir B
• Highway 43 Corridor
• BIA 8 Corridor
• SE Loop Expansion
• 1st Membrane Treatment Unit Expansion
• Thorne Reservoir and BPS

Current and Remaining Projects

As the project nears its funding capacity through the Dakota Water Resource Act (DWRA) funding, progress has not slowed down. This is partly due to Indian Health Services (IHS) and HEI teamwork on handling the project design and construction management. Also, USBR funds have been leveraged to keep projects moving forward by supplementing them with IHS, the US Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) funding. Below is a sample of current and upcoming projects for the TMBCI water system.

There is an obvious shortfall between the remaining funding ($4.9 million) and the estimated $63 million remaining to complete the master plan. TMBCI will strive to maintain progress on infrastructure build-out and to make good on commitments to area residents (Tribal and non-Tribal) who currently lack water service. The Tribe has been very successful in managing future growth thus far by capitalizing on available funding and revenue, conserving limited resources, and prioritizing projects wisely. Additional future funding through reauthorization of the DWRA, new Federal legislation directed to Tribal water infrastructure development, and/or inclusion of State MR&I funding would, if approved, help TMBCI ultimately achieve system buildout.

• Core 6 – Gordon Lake Phase II
• Reservoir A Replacement
• Golf Course Road Replacement
• Highway 5 Water Main Replacement
• BIA 11 Water Main Replacement
• Corridor 5 – Highway 281
• Corridor 6 – Distribution Expansion Area
• Corridor 3 – Highway 3
• Water Supply Increment to 3600 GPM
• Water Supply Increment to 4800 GPM
• 2nd Membrane Treatment Increment
• Final WTP Expansion/Renovations for 6000 GPM
• TMBC Operational Improvements Phases 1-7

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