North Dakota Regional Water Systems Governance and Finance Report

State of North Dakota State Water Commission

Buyer seeks a contractor to conduct a comprehensive study on the long-term governance and finance models of three regional water systems in North Dakota. The study must evaluate the operational and organizational aspects of the Northwest Area Water Supply, Southwest Pipeline Project, and Red River Valley Water Supply Project. Buyer requires recommendations for the most cost-effective and economically efficient governance and finance frameworks. The final report must be completed by May 29, 2026.

• 6/16/2025 - RFI Issued
• 6/26/2025 - Deadline for Questions and Clarification
• 7/21/2025 - Proposal Due Date
• 8/29/2025 - Execute Agreement with Vendor(s)
• 2/27/2026 - First Draft Available
• 3/27/2026 - Final Draft Available
• 5/29/2026 - Final Report Complete

• Must not receive direct or indirect financial benefits from any regional, municipal, or rural water system in North Dakota

• Analyze governance models of NAWS, SWPP, and RRVWSP regional water systems
• Evaluate finance frameworks across the three regional systems
• Assess operational and organizational aspects of each system
• Develop cost-effective recommendations for long-term governance
• Create metrics to identify efficient use of state financial resources
• Compare differing project authorities and infrastructure ownership structures
• Analyze varying percentages of state funding across systems
• Propose alternative governance frameworks supported by metrics
• Present findings to State Water Commission and Legislative committees
• Deliver draft reports for review and feedback