by April Scheinoha
Reporter
The Thief River Falls City Council is hiring a firm to lobby the federal government on its behalf. At its meeting Tuesday, June 15, the council approved hiring Flaherty & Hood PA to lobby for full federal funding to relocate the city’s drinking water intake pipe. Those services would be provided at a rate not to exceed $10,000.
For years, city leaders have wanted to move the city’s drinking water intake pipe. It is estimated that it will cost $15.6 million to move the intake pipe from its current location near the dam to the original water intake site east of Bill LaFave Park.
City leaders want to move the water intake pipe since water quality is better on the Red Lake River. The Thief River influences city water more than the city would like.
The request for council action further noted that various federal management practices have negatively affected the city’s source water quality. It indicated that city leaders have worked for years to “get the federal government to acknowledge the source water contamination that occurs in the Thief River Watershed directly affects the treatment process for drinking water.”
Federal staff have previously offered loans to the city for the project. However, city leaders anticipate such loans would lead to considerable city debt. According to the request for council action, city leaders feel the relocation should be funded through the American Jobs Plan, which includes a significant amount of funding for infrastructure projects. Congress is considering the plan.