Senate Hears Fort Peck Water System Reauthorization

The U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power held hearings on reauthorizing the Fort Peck Reservation Rural Water System Act of 2000. Senators Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy introduced S. 3635 in January 2026 to extend the Bureau of Reclamation's construction authority from December 2026 to 2028, ensuring completion of vital pipelines in northeastern Montana, including the Fort Peck Reservation.[1][5][9] The system draws clean water from the Missouri River to serve over 18,000 residents, with capacity for 32,000.[3]

Enacted in 2000 after decades of oil pollution contaminated local aquifers with carcinogens and excessive salinity, the project includes the tribal Assiniboine and Sioux Rural Water System and non-tribal Dry Prairie Water System across Roosevelt, Sheridan, Valley, and Daniels counties.[1][2] Construction delays, including Bureau of Land Management permitting issues, have pushed the need for this two-year extension to finish the final two of 23 pipeline phases, with total costs now at $432 million.[3] The companion House bill, H.R. 7250, received testimony from Dry Prairie Rural Water's board chairman supporting the effort.[3]

While centered in Montana, this reauthorization underscores national priorities for rural water infrastructure amid contamination risks and climate challenges, lessons that resonate in Wisconsin where aging systems and Great Lakes protections demand similar federal investment. Milwaukee residents, reliant on Lake Michigan for clean water, can see parallels in safeguarding public health from industrial legacies.

The Senate committee will review the bill next, with potential floor votes to follow if advanced, securing long-term water security for the region.[7][9]