Officials of a North Dakota town that's struggled with its water supply have signed a deal to shore-up that supply, and help provide water to others in the area.

The mayor of city of Parshall signed a deal today with the chairman of the Three Affiliated Tribes that signals cooperation on a plan to increase water supplies and get that water to areas where water is still hauled in to homes daily.

Parshall Mayor Richard Bolkan and Tribal Chairman Marcus Wells put their names to the deal this afternoon.

It calls for a new water plant with five times the capacity of the current Parshall water system - and a tribally-installed and operated pipeline to get the water to where it's most needed.

(Richard Bolkan, Parshall Mayor) "We came up with quite an agreement to bring water to the whole reservation, it's going to be quite a great thing, with the help of quite a few officials." (Marcus Wells, Tribal Chairman) "I hauled water for 39 years. He still hauls water and he's on the Tribal Business Council. So there is some work to be done on distribution and we'll get that done."


The 11-million dollar project will be funded in large part by federal funds that North Dakota Senator Byron Dorgan says he will secure in his position as chairman of the Senate's Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee.

(Sen. Byron Dorgan, -D- ND) "I couldn't be more pleased with an agreement between a city, the city of Parshall, and the tribes. It is exactly the way good government should work: all of us trying to figure out what can we do to make this work and work well for everybody."


Dorgan says the increased capacity of the Parshall water system will also help meet the needs of oil drilling companies that are searching in the Bakken Shale Formation surrounding Parshall. watch the video | save this article / add to your favorites list