Gov. John Hoeven is urging the federal government to pick the least expensive treatment option for the Northwest Area Water Supply project, saying it would protect Canadian waters.

Hoeven's comments came at the first of three public hearings being held by the federal Bureau of Reclamation on NAWS, which would pipe Missouri River water to the Minot area and northwestern North Dakota. The first hearing was held Monday night in Bismarck. The other hearings are scheduled Tuesday night in Minot and Thursday night in New Town.

Hoeven said the science for the project remains sound. While the federal government is responsible for construction costs associated with a treatment facility, getting federal support has been difficult, he said, and higher costs could threaten the project.

Canada worries the NAWS project will send potentially harmful material into its waters. After the Canadian province of Manitoba sued to stop it, a federal judge ordered an environmental impact statement.

The draft environmental statement considers four water treatment alternatives, ranging in cost from $8.1 million to $90 million. The preliminary report concluded each carries "very low risk" of transferring invasive species from the Missouri River into Canada's Hudson Bay basin.

Canadian officials have said they are analyzing the report. They have supported a $73 million treatment plant.

At Monday night's hearing, Hoeven urged the Bureau of Reclamation to select the $8.1 million plan that would include disinfection of Missouri River water at a facility near Max and full treatment at the Minot Water Treatment Plant.

If the more expensive treatment option is chosen, he said, "we need a federal commitment to fund the additional cost now so that no further delay of this water project occurs."

Officials say NAWS has been in the works for 20 years. Only construction unrelated to treatment is continuing with a judge's permission until officials resolve the issue how much Missouri River water treatment is needed.

- Associated Press