CAMDEN, S.C. — Just one day after learning that Kershaw County was getting $10 million to improve local infrastructure, we're now learning that the county will get even more.
On Friday, News19 found out that Kershaw County has already been approved for $13 million from the American Rescue Plan. The county is receiving the money to help with the economic fallout from the pandemic and working towards building a strong foundation.
“The Kershaw County Council has approved a general plan,” County Administrator Vic Carpenter said.
Carpenter said the money will be split up into three areas offering additional pay and compensation for public employees supporting broadband and COVID non-profit agencies and upgrading water waste and stormwater infrastructure.
“The plant itself is at its capacity limits so the need to expand it,” Carpenter said. “So, it's been about 13 years since we put any money into the plant itself.”
In those 13 years, Kershaw County has grown, gaining about 8,000 new residents.
“This is money that we've never seen in our lifetime,” Carpenter said. “And we'll probably never see again.”
And the upgrades are something one local resident, Bill Berthelette, said he’s happy to see.
“We knew there was an issue with the sewage because you're starting to get that smell that I would assume indicates a problem,” he said.
He said that he hopes the money is used the right way.
