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It's not easy to make clean drinking water available to 30,000 Montanans spread throughout seven counties; planning, funding and labor all present their own challenges, but this project also faced social hurdles. The News Station's Kay Rossi takes a look at how barriers were broken while the North Central Montana Regional Water System was built.

Chippewa Cree Tribal members have faced criticism over the benefits they aim to receive from the North Central Montana Regional Water System - but it was the tribe that initiated the project in the first place.

Tony Belcourt, CEO of Chippewa Cree Construction Corporation, noted, "In that process we saw a lot of other towns were having the same issues and so that's how the Rocky Boy/North Central Montana Regional Water Project was formed."

A ratified water compact with the state in the late 1990's gave the tribe access to water at Lake Elwell near Tiber Dam. Over time the project grew to include a wide variety of other communities, including Hutterite residents.

Belcourt explained, "You know, there's a lot of stereotypes out there that say the tribe don't got no skin in the game, or these Hutterite colonies don't have no stake in it. You know, these Hutterite Colonies are paying up front for a water hook-up fee plus paying for water."

The Chippewa Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boy's Reservation has contributed $5-million dollars, and members of the Riverview Hutterite colony have already given over $50,000.

Mary Heller of the North Central Montana Regional Water Authority said, "Everybody needs water and it doesn't matter where they come from, what their political position is, what their religious position is, what they do for a living."

It's a unified effort from all groups propelling the project forward.

Over a dozen tribal and non-tribal construction crews are out working on the project and that's just some of the partnerships making this project work.

The project has created over 100 jobs for tribal and non-tribal residents, and by working together the groups are able to move faster than the national average to lay pipes, while others work behind the scenes to keep the momentum.

Heller said, "I might be pushing the paperwork behind my desk and making the phone calls and making sure we're getting the funding that's needed, and it's really a neat idea that at the end of the day I can come out here and I can put my hand on a pipeline and say I helped build it. I was a part of it."

Together, the different partners will be able to supply clean drinking water to an estimated 10,000 homes, and in doing that, can work to eliminate negative stereotypes in the state.

Belcourt noted, "I think it's a step in the right direction because without water none of us are going to be around. I think we have to work together for a common goal."

All three members of the Montana's Congressional delegation have backed the project.