Who is Affected?

Cheryl Chapman, the Executive Director of WDRWS, answers some questions about the coming water needs of western South Dakota.

Do smaller water systems need to be concerned about the overall water needs of western South Dakota?

About 45 percent of the water use in the Black Hills is made up of small water systems, where oftentimes one pump and one well serves a group of homes. There’s over 350 of these smaller water systems throughout the region. We’ve been actively reaching out and communicating with these water systems—and communities throughout western South Dakota—addressing all the water needs of western South Dakota.

What are the factors that will determine our future water availability?

There are three things that really influence our water availability. One is drought. One is population. And one that is not talked about very much is the quality of water available. If anything should happen to change the quality, that would put pressure on our water needs. All three of these factors are reasons why we want to keep moving on to develop this project.

What are the solutions to this issue?

Conservation is a piece of the puzzle, but not the whole picture. Additional water sources could provide redundancy and in some cases better water quality, reducing treatment requirements. But the magnitude of a project like this can take years to build — all the more reason to work today to secure our future.

What does it look like if we don’t do anything?

According to the 2019 South Dakota Mines report, prolonged drought would stretch water resources beyond current demand. Knowing South Dakota climate, it’s not a matter if we have a drought—but when. Combined with increasing population and demand on our aquifers, we need to plan now for future needs.