RICHLAND COUNTY, S.C. — Richland County has received a $9 million grant to improve stormwater infrastructure, upgrade water systems and solve pollution issues in an area between two major watersheds.
The county said the South Carolina Infrastructure Investment Program (SCIIP), which provides money for long-term capital improvements related to infrastructure, granted the money. The money will be used to rehabilitate and replace the drainage for the Hickory Ridge development in southeast Richland County, which includes roughly 90 homes.
Officials said the project is critical, as Hickory Ridge is between Mill Creek and Cabin Branch watersheds.
"Because water in the area contains high levels of bacteria, both watersheds are on the state's list of impaired waterways," the county said in a statement released Thursday.
David Pitts, the county's stormwater manager, said the county had prioritized the Hickory Ridge project since 2018.
“The strategic initiative for this project will help Richland County residents with flooding issues, and installing best management practices throughout the drainage infrastructure will help improve water quality,” he said in a statement.
The county said Hickory Ridge faces issues common to older housing developments, such as undersized pipes, flooding, erosion and pollutants, which can harm people and animals when highly concentrated.
Upgrade proposals include replacing the existing system with larger pipes, adding drainage pipe networks, excavating wider channels and implementing other management practices. The county said it would use an existing 2021 study to help accomplish these goals.
"These improvements will make life better for Hickory Ridge and for Lower Richland as a whole,” County Councilmember Chakisse Newton said in a statement.
Officials said the county now has an engineer to begin the design phase, and construction should begin in spring 2025. The community will also get a chance to ask questions and get updates during a public meeting on July 8 of this year at the Garners Ferry Adult Activity Center at 8620 Garners Ferry Road in Hopkins. The county said it will provide more information about the meeting soon.
