DEADWOOD, S.D. – Water leaks from the aging wood line that supplies three South Dakota towns with water, and workers worry ice will crack the line in the approaching winter. A loan from the National Rural Water Association is helping the water district replace the line.
                “The line was constructed in the late 1880’s,” explained Francis Toscana, Manager of the Lead-Deadwood Sanitary District No. 1. “Some of it hasn’t had a lot of maintenance.”
                The line is a wood stave line constructed from redwood. Toscana explained that the line had been deteriorating from vandalism and lower water flow. The raw water line is the sole source of water for three South Dakota communities, Deadwood, Lead and Central City.
                “If there’s less water in the system the liner dries out and shrinks,” he explained.
                Toscana said that he first heard about the NRWA loan program at a meeting of the Black Hills Public Works Authority, a group of utilities that meets about eight times a year. One of the systems mentioned the loan program, and Toscana contacted George Vansco, Field Program Supervisor with the South Dakota Association of Rural Water Systems. Vansco put Toscana in contact with the appropriate NRWA office, and they began the paperwork.
                “It was one of the easiest things I’ve ever done, borrowing money,” Toscana said. “I was very surprised at how quick it turned around.”
                The water district was able to borrow $100,000, the program maximum, to replace the line with 30-inch ductile iron pipe. The total project will cost $270,000.
                “The fact that they have this program allows us to leverage our funds for this kind of project,” Toscana said of the NRWA loan program.
                “We can make sure we have water coming into these communities.”

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