SALUDA, S.C. — Saluda County is breaking ground on a new wastewater treatment plant that will help ensure community members in the area have clean water and reliable sewer systems.
"This will expand our facilities, allow us to bring about 80% of the flow here into Saluda,” Jason Fell said.
Fell is the general manager for Saluda Water & Sewer Authority. Located off of North Bouknight Ferry Road, the plant is expected to create over 300 jobs in the area.
“This plant provides where we had limited capacity on waste water, it gives us over three million gallons of excess capacity of sewer to help allow our existing customers that have been constrained for a few years to be able to expand their operations, new industries that have come in while we were getting this funding to allow to grow or double in size,” Fell said.
City officials say Saluda County is currently using facilities in other cities in the area to treat their wastewater.
“The majority of the 1.4 million gallons a day that we have capacity for goes through Saluda County, through Johnston, through Trenton, through north Augusta to the Aiken PSA wastewater facility that discharges into the Savannah,” Fell said.
The US Department of Agriculture has contributed over $43.7 million for the project, they say this will allow the city to grow
“It restricted any possibility of growth. without capacity sewage treatment, it’s really limited to what your economy and to bringing industries into the area,” Rusty Craven of the SC USDA said. He added "what they’re doing and the work that’s going on here is just going to improve Saluda County economy and the environment for future generations,”
According to city officials the wastewater treatment plant is projected to be completed by July of next year.
“We’re putting in a system that helps our size community grow into the future. it sets the foundation for everything. having excess water capacity, having excess sewer capacity allows us to be able to serve wherever people are that need our help,” Fell said.