Restoration help in Volga

About Volga

Volga was founded on December 27, 1879, by the Western Town Lot Company as the railroad pushed west through Brookings County, and it was known early on as "Bandy Town." The town was incorporated in 1903 (Wikipedia). The 2020 census counted 2,113 residents, up from 1,768 in 2010, and 938 housing units, up from 783, meaning about 155 homes were added in a decade.

The town lies on U.S. 14 with the Big Sioux River to the east and Lake Goldsmith to the northwest. Four Volga sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Volga Auditorium, built in 1938. The Brookings County Museum is in Volga City Park, and the town holds Old Timers Day each June.

What drives restoration calls here

Volga shares Brookings' climate. The nearby Brookings 2 NE station averages a January low of about 4°F, about 177 nights a year at or below freezing, and about 36 inches of snow a year (PlainClimate). That shapes the calls:

• Frozen and burst pipes. Lines in outside walls, crawlspaces and garages during cold snaps. See frozen pipes.
• Ice dam leaks. Meltwater backing up under shingles and into ceilings. See ice dams.
• Basement water. Snowmelt seepage in spring and heavy rain in summer. In September 2019, the National Weather Service recorded two-day totals above six inches at two stations in and near Brookings, with many structures inundated across the region (NWS Sioux Falls). See basement flooding.
• Heating-season fires. Furnaces, space heaters and wood stoves. See fire and smoke damage.

Call about damage in Volga

Local utility and permit contacts

Volga City Hall houses the city's electric, water, sewer and garbage utilities as well as building permits and planning and zoning (Dakota at Home). The city runs its own municipal electric system, listed by the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission as Volga Municipal Electric (SD PUC). If a fire or flood means the power needs to be shut off at the meter, that is the office to call.

Contractor and electrical rules

South Dakota requires anyone contracting to repair or remodel real property to hold a contractor's excise tax license from the Department of Revenue before starting work, whatever the size of the job (SD Department of Revenue). For electrical work, the South Dakota Electrical Commission requires an approved homeowner permit before an owner wires their own home, and a rough-in inspection before walls are insulated or covered (SD Electrical Commission). After a flood or fire, ask the provider who will handle electrical repairs and inspections before drywall goes back up.

Before the provider arrives

• Shut off the water at the main valve for a plumbing leak, or stop using water if a drain is backing up.
• Keep the heat on in winter so other pipes do not freeze.
• Photograph every affected room, the source and the water line on the walls.
• Call the insurer to open a claim and note the claim number.

Services covered in Volga

Nearby White, Sinai and Aurora are covered for the same four services. See the service area page for the full list.

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