Underground Infrastructure and Agricultural Giants: Codington County Leaders Tackle Pipeline Safety and Dairy Growth

Northeast Radio SD News – Watertown, SD - From the hidden network of energy pipelines beneath the soil to the industrial dairies transforming the regional landscape, infrastructure and industry dominated the closing reports of the April 14, 2026, Codington County Board of Commissioners meeting.

Commissioner Myron Johnson shared insights from a recent pipeline safety program, revealing a statistic that surprised both the board and the gallery: Codington County and the City of Watertown are home to 150 miles of underground pipeline.

“I don’t think people realize—I mean, we’re plumbed," Commissioner Johnson remarked during his report. “The whole country is plumbed now”.

The safety program focused heavily on emergency preparedness, walking local leaders and emergency personnel through various “what-if” scenarios. Johnson praised the organizers for providing high-quality information specifically tailored to the community’s defensive needs.

“They did a good job of identifying... or sharing with our first responders the response, and they have a program they go through, a scenario, and it’s kind of interesting,” Johnson said, emphasizing the importance of this training for the county’s fire and police departments.

The Rise of “Big Business” Dairies

The scale of modern dairy operations was a primary point of discussion, with Johnson noting that these are no longer small family farms, but massive economic engines.

·         Manchester Dairy: Located north of Manchester, this facility houses approximately 20,000 cows.

·         Washington Dairy: Located north of De Smet, this site houses roughly 12,500 cows.

“The size and the impact that these dairies are having on our communities—it’s phenomenal,” Johnson reported. “I mean, it’s big, big business”.

Economic Ripple Effects

The expansion of these dairies provides a significant boost to the local agricultural economy, as the sheer volume of feed required keeps local crop prices stable and demand high.

“The economic development part of that is that these dairies use a lot of product, a lot of raw product—crops, whether it be corn or haylage or hay,” Johnson explained. “And they come from right around those dairies; they don’t bring them in from a long ways away usually. What an economic factor for those local areas”.

Tax Reform and the “Half-Cent” Debate

Commissioners noted that at the same Sioux Valley meeting, state-level discussions focused on a potential half-cent sales tax to reduce the burden on real estate owners.

The proposal, which aligns with recent legislative efforts supported by the Governor, is viewed as an “all or nothing” move for counties.

“I think the one thing that should interest a lot of us is... will we increase or ask for the sales tax, the half-cent sales tax,” Johnson said. “From the information I learned there, it’s half-cent or none at all”.

The Board indicated that as these dairies and pipelines continue to expand, finding a balance between supporting industrial growth and providing tangible tax relief to property owners will remain a top priority for the 2026-2027 budget cycle.