The Clay Rural Water System provides water service to 2,025 locations in parts of five counties in southeast South Dakota. The sole purpose of the water system is to provide safe, quality drinking water to its members for domestic, farm and business use.

Clay RWS is a member-owned, non-profit corporation incorporated in June, 1975. The water system was financed and constructed from 1978-1980 primarily with member connection fees and loans and grants from the Farmers Home Administration. It became fully operational in late 1980. The original construction cost of the System was $5.8 million.

Service to the member population base of 5,200 is provided from two water treatment plants. The main plant is located seven miles east of Wakonda, SD. A second plant is located near McCook Lake, SD. Water is distributed from the treatment plants through a network of 900 miles of pipeline, six storage reservoirs with a capacity of 1,040,000 gallons, and three booster stations. Clay RWS is governed by a nine-member Board of Directors, elected by the membership from three voting districts.