April 4, 2017

WAWSA looks ahead while staying afloat

By Jack Dura
Farmer Staff Writer

The future looks interesting for the Western Area Water Supply Authority.
Established in 2011 with $309 million in total allocated for it, WAWSA is current on payments for its state-guaranteed loans, executive director Jaret Wirtz said. Its market share has fallen by half from a peak of 20 percent, but the project built to serve 125,000 people of northwestern North Dakota by 2035 is financially stable, he added.
WAWSA hopes to restructure its debt to lower payments over more years, Jaret Wirtz said, such as 30 to 40 years rather than 20.
“We know we have an ability to pay it back with the customers that are out there,” he said.
Despite the declined market share, an increased industrial need is there, he added.

For the full story, subscribe to the McKenzie County Farmer

WATFORD CITY WEATHER