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Trump Administration Invests $29.1 Million in Rural Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Improvements in South Carolina

Name
Stephanie Bittiker
Phone
City
Columbia S.C
Release Date

Projects Will Improve Rural Water Infrastructure for Rural Residents and Businesses
 

Columbia, S. C.. Oct. 27, 2020 – The Trump Administration today announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $891 million to modernize rural drinking water and wastewater infrastructure in 43 states.  As part of today’s announcement, $29.1 Million will be awarded to five South Carolina Rural Water and Wastewater projects.  

“Upgrading water infrastructure provides a path to economic growth and protects the health and safety of people who live and work in rural areas,” USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Bette Brand said. “Under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Perdue, USDA continues to be a strong partner to rural communities, because we know that when rural America thrives, all of America thrives.”

These 220 projects will help improve rural water infrastructure for 787,000 residents. The projects are being funded through the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program.

Background:

The Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program provides funding for clean and reliable drinking water systems, sanitary sewage disposal, sanitary solid waste disposal, and storm water drainage to households and businesses in eligible rural areas with populations of 10,000 or less.

South Carolina’s projects include:

  • Trico Water Co., Inc., located in Dillon County, is receiving a $6 million loan and a $747,000 grant to improve their water system.  Trico water system was created in 1970 and provides service to over 6,000 customers throughout Dillon County. The system is supplied by 16 groundwater wells and pump to five treatment facilities for iron removal with pH adjustment and chlorination. The system water storage consists of six elevated tanks. The proposed project consists of the construction of a water treatment plant, three wells to supply raw water to the new plant, a pump station, and water lines.  This project will also increase the water production capacity within the system and allow Trico to provide more water to the entire service area.  
  • Alligator Rural Water & Sewer Company, Inc. (ARWS) is receiving a $4.4 million loan to  expand its collection system. ARWS was established in 1987 to provide water to the southwestern portion of rural Chesterfield County and has more than 1,700 residential water customers and eight commercial water customers. In 1997, ARWS began providing sewer service in a limited area to commercial customers and now operates a wastewater collection system for nine commercial users. This collection expansion project is essential, based on residences complaining of septic tank and septic effluent field drainage failure issues.  The system has five critical pump stations and the new proposed project will augment two critical pump stations to the system, totaling seven critical pump stations.  The expanded collection system will provide service to 150 residential users and two additional commercial users. Other funds for this project consist of $1,000,000 South Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority Grant.
  • The City of Belton is receiving an $8.7 million loan to  upgrade their water system. The City purchases water from the Belton-Honea Path Water Authority (BHPWA) through a master meter that is supplied by BHPWA's remote service pumps. The City's public water system also consists of two elevated tanks and a standpipe. There are 2,800 meters on the system and 2,682 taps which serves a population of 5,500. Most of the ductile iron and cast-iron lines were put in service prior to 1950 and comprise 60 percent of the system. The remaining 40 percent is mainly polyvinyl chloride that has been put in service in the last 30 years. The water system requires improved water distribution within the servicing area.  The proposed project will assist the City in constructing a new above ground storage tank, with booster pumps, and new water lines and supervisory control and data acquisition system. In addition, the funds will be used to construct a booster pump station on feeder line from BHPWA to provide pressure and water to feed the tank, complete remote-read water meter system with a control tower to serve the entire system, and install valve system which will allow for unidirectional flushing that would improve water quality throughout the system and install fire hydrants risers around the city.
  • The Lowcountry Regional Water System is receiving nearly a $2.1 Million loan to upgrade the Brunson wastewater treatment plant. The existing Brunson wastewater collection system was originally constructed in 1979 and is not capable of meeting the established discharge permit limitations.  This proposed project includes installing new pumps in the existing influent pump station to accommodate the peak wastewater flows received. It will upgrade the wastewater treatment plant to a Dual Powered Multicellular Aerated Lagoon (DPMC) to be followed by five Intermittent Sand Filters to treat and filter discharged wastewater. Also, existing sewer lines will be rehabbed in the Brunson area and will include sewer inspection, sewer line rehab, and pump station rehab.   
  • The Barrineau Public Utilities Co., Inc. is receiving a $4.6 million loan and a $2.4 million grant to extend water lines within its in rural service areas in Williamsburg, Clarendon and Florence counties.  The system has been affected by increased demand caused by low flow issues in various parts of the system, preventing the system from meeting the minimum fire flow requirements and causing fire hydrants to be removed from service. The proposed project consists of the installation of new lines to provide service and improve fire protection for 140 new customers. Moreover, a well and elevated storage tank will also be constructed to provide access to drinking water for 175 households in the rural PBU area. These residents currently obtain their drinking water from shallow on-site wells. 
    These USDA investments are going to Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and West Virginia.
    To learn more about investment resources for rural areas, interested parties should contact their USDA Rural Development state office.
    USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov/sc.

If you’d like to subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page.

 

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