The South Dakota Association of Rural Water Systems (SDARWS) recently named the Randall Community Water District (RCWD) as the Rural Water System of the Year during the organization’s Annual Technical Conference in Pierre.

Randall Community Water District was incorporated in 1976 and serves rural customers in Charles Mix County and portions of Aurora, Bon Homme, Brule, Douglas and Hutchinson counties in southeastern South Dakota. They also supply water to fifteen bulk users, including area towns, the Yankton Sioux Tribe, Aurora-Brule Rural Water and Davison Rural Water.

RCWD utilizes water from the Missouri River and has two intake structures and water treatment plants; one is near Pickstown and the other southwest of Platte. Tying the treatment plants together not only improved service to their customers but provides an ample supply of water in the event one plant is down for repairs.

RCWD staff completed the transition to an Automated Meter Reading (AMR) system last year. Originally, both plants utilized a mixed-media filtration system. In the last two years, a new ultra-filtration (UF) system was installed at the Platte treatment plant.

RCWD also recently completed the installation of a caisson-style intake structure at its Platte intake which extends into the old river channel. This project was a team effort. With the help of Senators Mike Rounds and John Thune, the project was launched regardless of the construction moratorium that remains in effect.

The system is managed by Scott Pick and employees: Comptroller Megan Bergin, Billing Clerks Mollie Petrik and Kaylene Goehring; Financial Services Advisor Georgia Andersh; Plant Manager Robert Durham, Plant Operators Terry Koupal, Ricky Bergin, and Jason Wright, Distribution Manager Mason Wright, Distribution Operators Grant Petrik, Ernie Wright, Corey DeBey and Jeff Podzimek, and One-Call Operator Jason Kafka. The Board consists of President David Meyerink, Vice-President Scott Holbeck, Secretary Christopher Slaba, Treasurer John Carda, and Directors Tom Travis, Joel Lau, Trent Beltman, Vance Qualm, Mike Kuhlman and Eric DeWaard.

The 2020 South Dakota Rural Water Annual Technical Conference hosted over 500 individuals and provided water and wastewater educational presentations for board members, managers, and operations specialists from throughout South Dakota.