Clean Water for Rural Communities Act

To authorize the construction of the Musselshell-Judith Rural Water System and study of the Dry-Redwater Regional Water Authority System in the States of Montana and North Dakota, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Clean Water for Rural Communities Act 2. Purpose The purpose of this Act is to ensure a safe and adequate municipal, rural, and industrial water supply for the citizens of— (1) Dawson, Garfield, McCone, Prairie, Richland, Judith Basin, Wheatland, Golden Valley, Fergus, Yellowstone, and Musselshell Counties in the State of Montana; and (2) McKenzie County, North Dakota. 3. Definitions In this Act: (1) Authority The term Authority (A) the Central Montana Regional Water Authority, a publicly owned nonprofit water authority formed in accordance with Mont. Code Ann. § 75–6–302 (2007); and (B) any nonprofit successor entity to the Authority described in subparagraph (A). (2) Musselshell-Judith Rural Water System The term Musselshell-Judith Rural Water System (A) Judith Basin, Wheatland, Golden Valley, and Musselshell Counties in the State; (B) the portion of Yellowstone County in the State within 2 miles of State Highway 3 and within 4 miles of the county line between Golden Valley and Yellowstone Counties in the State, inclusive of the Town of Broadview, Montana; and (C) the portion of Fergus County in the State within 2 miles of U.S. Highway 87 and within 4 miles of the county line between Fergus and Judith Basin Counties in the State, inclusive of the Town of Moore, Montana. (3) Secretary The term Secretary (4) State The term State 4. Musselshell-Judith Rural Water System (a) Authorization The Secretary may carry out the planning, design, and construction of the Musselshell-Judith Rural Water System in a manner that is substantially in accordance with the feasibility report entitled Musselshell-Judith Rural Water System Feasibility Report (b) Cooperative agreement The Secretary shall enter into a cooperative agreement with the Authority to provide Federal assistance for the planning, design, and construction of the Musselshell-Judith Rural Water System. (c) Cost-Sharing requirement (1) Federal share (A) In general The Federal share of the costs relating to the planning, design, and construction of the Musselshell-Judith Rural Water System shall not exceed 65 percent of the total cost of the Musselshell-Judith Rural Water System. (B) Limitation Amounts made available under subparagraph (A) shall not be returnable or reimbursable under the reclamation laws. (2) Use of Federal funds (A) General uses Subject to subparagraph (B), the Musselshell-Judith Rural Water System may use Federal funds made available to carry out this section for— (i) facilities relating to— (I) water pumping; (II) water treatment; (III) water storage; (IV) water supply wells; (V) distribution pipelines; and (VI) control systems; (ii) transmission pipelines; (iii) pumping stations; (iv) appurtenant buildings, maintenance equipment, and access roads; (v) any interconnection facility that connects a pipeline of the Musselshell-Judith Rural Water System to a pipeline of a public water system; (vi) electrical power transmission and distribution facilities required for the operation and maintenance of the Musselshell-Judith Rural Water System; (vii) any other facility or service required for the development of a rural water distribution system, as determined by the Secretary; and (viii) any property or property right required for the construction or operation of a facility described in this subsection. (B) Limitation Federal funds made available to carry out this section shall not be used for the operation, maintenance, or replacement of the Musselshell-Judith Rural Water System. (C) Title Title to the Musselshell-Judith Rural Water System shall be held by the Authority. 5. Dry-Redwater feasibility study (a) Definitions In this section: (1) Dry-Redwater Regional Water Authority The term Dry-Redwater Regional Water Authority (A) the Dry-Redwater Regional Water Authority, a publicly owned nonprofit water authority formed in accordance with Mont. Code Ann. § 75–6–302 (2007); and (B) any nonprofit successor entity to the Authority described in subparagraph (A). (2) Dry-Redwater Regional Water Authority System The term Dry-Redwater Regional Water Authority System Dry-Redwater Regional Water Authority System (A) Garfield and McCone Counties in the State; (B) the area west of the Yellowstone River in Dawson and Richland Counties in the State; (C) T. 15 N. (including the area north of the Township) in Prairie County in the State; and (D) the portion of McKenzie County, North Dakota, that includes all land that is located west of the Yellowstone River in the State of North Dakota. (3) Reclamation feasibility standards The term reclamation feasibility standards 43 U.S.C. 2405 (4) Submitted feasibility study The term submitted feasibility study Dry-Redwater Regional Water System Feasibility Study (b) Study (1) In general The Secretary, in consultation with the Dry-Redwater Regional Water Authority, may undertake a study, including a review of the submitted feasibility study, to determine the feasibility of constructing the Dry-Redwater Regional Water System. (2) Requirement The study under paragraph (1) shall comply with the reclamation feasibility standards. (c) Cooperative agreement If the Secretary determines that the study under subsection (b) does not comply with the reclamation feasibility standards, the Secretary may enter into a cooperative agreement with the Dry-Redwater Regional Water Authority to complete additional work to ensure that the study complies with the reclamation feasibility standards. (d) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary $5,000,000 to carry out this section. (e) Termination The authority provided by this section shall expire on the date that is 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act. 6. Water rights Nothing in this Act— (1) preempts or affects any State water law; or (2) affects any authority of a State, as in effect on the date of enactment of this Act, to manage water resources within that State. 7. Authorization of appropriations (a) Authorization There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out the planning, design, and construction of the Musselshell-Judith Rural Water System, substantially in accordance with the cost estimate set forth in the feasibility report described in section 4(a), $56,650,000. (b) Cost Indexing The amount authorized to be appropriated under subsection (a) may be increased or decreased in accordance with ordinary fluctuations in development costs incurred after November 1, 2014, as indicated by any available engineering cost indices applicable to construction activities that are similar to the construction of the Musselshell-Judith Rural Water System.

Summary: Clean Water for Rural Communities Act This bill authorizes rural water supply projects in Montana and North Dakota. Specifically, the bill authorizes the Department of the Interior to (1) plan and construct the Musselshell-Judith Rural Water System for certain communities in Montana, and (2) study the feasibility of constructing the Dry-Redwater Regional Water System for certain communities in Montana and North Dakota.