ORANGEBURG COUNTY, S.C. — Mayor Tracie Clemons says the town of Norway has some of the oldest water pipes in the state and it's starting to take a toll on its water pressure.
“Some customers have low pressure, some even have high pressure and from time to time the water is discolored. You know, sometime it’s rusty," said Clemons, "Sometimes there’s some sediments in the water, and if you think about galvanized, I mean these pipes have been in the ground for more than 100 years,"
According to Clemons, the water itself is safe.
“With our drinking water sanitation surveys, with DHEC, all of the parameters with our water sampling is good. They fall within the EPA guidelines so the customers are getting clean water to drink," said Clemons.
The town plans to do a DHEC engineering study to identify the source of the The study will cost the town $520,000 and could take up to 10 months to complete.
“The goal is let’s do an engineering study first before we put any more new water lines in the ground," said Clemons.
According to Clemons, the town is eligible for a federal grant of up to $1 million for projects intended to fix aging infrastructure.
This funding is available for municipalities looking to upgrade or replace infrastructure that has exceeded its useful life and capacity.
If selected for the grant, the funding received would be used to advance the study.