COLUMBIA, S.C. — Officials with Richland County have released a status update on the county's $24.2 million project to expand water and sewer access in the Lower Richland area.
The Southeast Richland County Sewer and Water Expansion Project got underway April 15 when crews began laying out pipe along the roadway and clearing ground for trenches for the pipe to be buried. Sewer customers in the area will eventually be connected to the existing Eastover Regional Wastewater Treatment facility.
Currently, homes and businesses and super users such as McEntire Joint National Guard Base, Hopkins Middle School, Hopkins Elementary School, Gadsden Elementary School and the Franklin Park community operate on small, aging wastewater treatment systems.
On Oct. 14, WLTX reported South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) issued three citations to Richland County School District One for water pollution related to cesspools -- lagoons -- used by the schools having insufficient wastewater protocols.
Designated by the Central Midlands Council of Governments as the provider of wastewater services for the area, Richland County routed its new sewer system so it could provide connections at these strategic locations, Utilities director Bill Davis said.
“Most of the infrastructure within these small, local wastewater systems has reached the end of its useful life,” Davis said. “Expanding Richland County’s sewer system in the area also gives us the capacity to connect those* who would like to connect.”
Connection to the system would also help prevent environmental hazards such as those cited by DHEC, ensure reliable service and make the system more cost effective overall.
Additionally, by installing 15 miles of water lines and 116 fire hydrants along part of the project route, the County can improve fire protection, increase home values and lower insurance rates in the area.
Funded through Utilities revenue bonds, the project will be implemented in two phases, with the first part expected to be complete by July 2021. Areas covered by the project’s first phase include Lower Richland Boulevard, Air Base Road, Congaree Road, Bluff Road, Reynolds Road, U.S. 601, Cabin Creek Road, Ault Road, Trotter Road, Congaree Church Road and Clarkson Road.
The County plans to further expand the infrastructure in Lower Richland by building out from the main line of the system in subsequent years. Planning for the water and sewer project’s second phase is expected to start in 2021.
A technological boost for the area will complement the new water and sewer lines. In September, the County announced that TruVista Telecom is installing fiber optic cable to enable broadband internet service in Lower Richland. The work is being done in conjunction with the water and sewer project, with service expected to begin next spring or summer.
Residents with questions about the projects or about County water and sewer service should email Richland County Utilities at RCU_Service@richlandcountysc.gov.
*Residents are not required to sign up for water and sewer service. Before the project broke ground, however, nearby residents were encouraged to tap into the system without incurring a fee, potentially saving an estimated $5,500 in water and sewer tap fees for each residence.
