Group won't use all fresh water for Jamestown ethanol plant

JAMESTOWN, N.D. (AP) A Jamestown-area group looking to use more than 1 million gallons of water a day for a new ethanol plant has decided not to use all fresh water.

Duaine Espegard is the lead director for the Newman Group. He says taking water from the Spiritwood aquifer would hurt others that use the aquifer.

Espegard says the aquifer already is being drawn down. Cargill Malt uses nearly 4 million gallons of water each day from it.

Espegard says the Spiritwood Ethanol plant needs only about 140,000 gallons of fresh water a day to make ethanol. He says the plant could get that from other sources and the rest of the water can come from Cargill after it's been used in the malting process.

Groundbreaking and construction of the Spiritwood plant are scheduled next spring.

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 09-19-07 1621CDT | save this article / add to your favorites list