ORANGEBURG, S.C. — A main water line replacement project is underway in Calhoun County. According to councilman John Nelson, the lines have been in the ground for decades.
“I was a child, or a very young man, when this line was put in, and it was a part of a private system we had in Sandy Run," Nelson said. "And after about 10 or 15 years, I believe, I may have that timeline a little bit off, but the county took it over, and we’ve been managing it ever since."
The line begins the intersection of Old Swamp Road and US 176 and runs into St. Matthews, where the water tower is located. Nelson says these repairs are necessary because the lines have aged and have caused various breakages. This, in turn, has cost the county a lot of money.
“It’s thousands of dollars every time we get a main line break and put it back in service so you weigh that by the number of times you pay someone to come fix the line break and your inconvenience to your customers," said Nelson.
He says these breaks happen in the area about four times every summer. The replacement project is being funded by a rural infrastructure grant. There are two smaller lines located on Staber Hill and Carolina Lane and is being funded by the 2018 penny sales tax.
“We’re trying to do it in an orchestrated plan that makes sense for the customers and gives them a good bang for their buck for what they’re buying that gives them a good safe water supply.”
Nelson says the project is expected to be completed within a matter of weeks and customers' water shouldn't be affected.