The West River/Lyman-Jones (WR/LJ) Rural Water System’s service area encompasses 8,100 square miles in west central South Dakota, providing service to rural areas and communities in seven counties. WR/LJ distributes quality water from both ground and surface water sources. The groundwater comes from wells drilled in the Inyan Kara aquifer. In addition, WR/LJ purchases treated Missouri River water from the Oglala Sioux Rural Water Supply System through a purchase agreement with the Bureau of Reclamation.
Newly-elected WDRWS Board President and General Manager of WR/LJ, Jake Fitzgerald stated, “If the proposed WDRWS pipeline between the Missouri River and the Black Hills area becomes a reality, it will likely be routed through the heart of our service area. WR/LJ will continue to support WDRWS to ensure our area has access to quality water as the needs of our membership continue to grow.”