SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - The 2012 omnibus budget bill provides $487,000 to the Lewis & Clark Regional Water system, an amount officials say will barely cover administrative expenses.

However, the bill also includes an extra $30 million to be divided among six rural water projects.

AUDIO: Lewis & Clark Executive Director Troy Larson says the Bureau of Reclamation will report back to Congress with details on how they plan to allocate the money.



When complete, the Lewis & Clark system will pipe treated Missouri River water from near Vermillion, S.D., to more than 300,000 people in South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa.

Minnesota system members include the city of Luverne, Rock County Rural Water, the city of Worthington and Lincoln-Pipestone Rural Water.