History

A Vision for Clean Water

Tripp County Water User District (TCWUD) was established in the early 1970s by a dedicated group of local farmers and ranchers in search of clean, reliable drinking water. At the time, many residents in northern Tripp County and nearby areas relied on artesian wells or had to haul water for household and livestock use.

A steering committee was formed to explore better solutions, including the possibility of tapping into water sources south of Winner. After many setbacks, Lawrence and Sedonia Wagner made a pivotal decision—they allowed surveyors on their land, where a high-quality water source was discovered. Thanks to the Wagners’ generosity and the committee’s persistence, construction began in the fall of 1977, turning the dream into a reality.

Early Operations and Growth

By fall 1978, TCWUD was fully operational, initially serving 515 users across 500 miles of pipeline. The system included one town and four Native American communities across Tripp, Gregory, and Lyman Counties. With just two wells producing 250 gallons per minute and a 500,000-gallon reservoir, TCWUD began building a legacy of water service excellence.

Over the years, the district expanded significantly:

1979: Mellette County Expansion added 55 users.
1986: Wewela and Lucas service areas brought in 230 more users.
1991 & 1993: Witten, Iona, and Carlock areas were added.
2003–2004: East Gregory Expansion, including the original East Gregory Water System, increased total customers to nearly 2,000.

Each expansion brought new pipelines, tanks, and pump stations—extending service to more families, farms, and communities.

Reaching New Boundaries

The most recent large-scale project, the Clearfield Expansion & Internal Upgrade Project, was completed in 2009. It extended TCWUD’s service boundaries as far as geographically possible. Today, TCWUD continues to grow, adding new customers every month for household, livestock, and seasonal water needs.

Water Quality and Recognition

Our water comes from the Valentine formation of the Ogallala Aquifer, known for its purity. It requires only gas chlorine and liquid fluoride treatment, as regulated by the state. TCWUD currently operates:

7 active wells
2 million gallons of storage capacity
Daily production of 2.1 million gallons
Well field capacity up to 3,000 gallons per minute

We’re proud recipients of the Best Tasting Water Award (2007, 2009) and receive annual Certificates of Achievement from the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources for providing safe drinking water.