News Releases for December 2003
December 2, 2003
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Hoeven: EPA Lifts Boil Order at Fort Yates - Water Restored
Governor Thanks State, Tribal, Federal Agencies for Efforts
BISMARCK, N.D. - Gov. John Hoeven today thanked state, tribal and federal agencies for their part in restoring water to the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation at Fort Yates.
The community had been without fresh drinking water since the weekend of Nov. 22-23 because its water intake pipe in Lake Oahe was clogged with silt due to low water levels. The shutdown caused the closing of tribal offices, hospital, school and businesses.
The Bureau of Reclamation, working with the assistance of state agencies, restored water to the treatment plant last week, but water could not be used without boiling until the North Dakota Department of Health, working with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), had sampled and tested it to ensure its safety for human consumption.
“This was a cooperative effort between state, tribal and federal authorities working to restore a community’s most vital natural resource - fresh water,” Hoeven said. “Both here on Oahe and on Lake Sakakawea, we will continue to address the underlying problem, which is the Army Corps of Engineers’ failure to recharge the reservoirs and adopt substantive drought conservation measures.”
State and tribal officials worked together with the federal Bureau of Reclamation to complete a temporary overland pipeline last Wednesday, which restored water to community residents, businesses and facilities. As of early Friday morning, treated water had been provided throughout the distribution network, which was flushed and re-chlorinated during the course of the day. The North Dakota Department of Health began sampling and testing the water at its Bismarck laboratory on Saturday. Each test takes 24 hours. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires the municipal water system to be tested for several consecutive days without a positive finding before residents and businesses can use the water for human consumption without boiling.
A week ago, Hoeven issued a water emergency proclamation, and dispatched National Guard troops and Department of Transportation water trucks to the site with potable water for drinking and additional water for heating systems. In early November, he issued a similar proclamation for the upper basin, including the community of Parshall, which is confronting a similar risk to its water intake system.
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