KNBN NewsCenter1
May 25, 2021
BOX ELDER, S.D. The City of Box Elder recently won the states recognition for drinking water excellence for the 12th straight year. But behind the scenes, the City’s reputation hasn’t reflected that same recognition.
“The impression was, water in Box Elder was not good,” said Jimmy Dettman, the city’s marketing director.
Water issues on the northwest side of Box Elder date back to 2018 where shallow wells, ranging from 50 to 100 feet deep, would pull in contaminants from nearby. The City wants residents and prospective businesses to know the issues are not theirs.
“That was private wells,” said Mayor Larry Larson. “The base is handling that and taking care of those people. But it was not in city limits and they were not on city water. We have good water.”