MINOT (AP) - The federal government could sign off on an environmental study on the Northwest Area Water Supply project before a new administration takes office in mid-January, a state official says.

That would ease worries that the change in the White House might mean an even longer wait for a final decision on the best water treatment option for the project to move Missouri River water to northwestern North Dakota.

Michelle Klose, NAWS manager with the State Water Commission, said the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation hopes to release its court-ordered environmental study during the week of Dec. 8. That would allow for a final decision in mid-January, before the administration changeover on Jan. 20.

There is a mandatory 30-day wait between the release of the study and the final decision.

Klose said earlier that if the final decision did not come until after the Obama administration takes office, it might take more time to get new government officials up to speed on the water project.

NAWS was first authorized by Congress in 1986 and has been under construction since 2002.

A more extensive environmental study was ordered by a federal judge as the result of an October 2002 lawsuit filed by the Canadian province of Manitoba, which fears the potential transfer of harmful material into its waters through NAWS.

Preliminary study findings said NAWS poses little risk to Canadian waters under any of the four water treatment options. The final report will name a preferred option from the four, which range in price from $8.1 million to $90 million, with annual operating and maintenance costs ranging from $232,000 to $2.1 million.

After the decision, the Water Commission still will have to deal with many other issues, including the Canadian opposition and the need to get federal funding.

Meanwhile, the city of Burlington is the latest to express interest in getting water from Minot while it waits for Missouri River water to arrive through NAWS.

The State Water Commission and the city of Minot must approve the request.

NAWS already is delivering Minot's water to Berthold. NAWS built a pipeline from Minot to Berthold last summer, then contracted with Minot for water to more quickly resolve Berthold's water quality issues.

Kenmare and Mohall also hope to obtain Minot's water to blend with their existing water.