County Spotlight: Lower Richland Water and Sewer

COUNTY EXTENDING WATER, SEWER LINES IN LOWER RICHLAND

A major water and sewer project to benefit the Lower Richland community is on tap for Richland County’s Utilities Department.

The Southeast Richland Water and Sewer Project will extend the County’s water system and connect sewer customers to its wastewater treatment facility.

The new sewer system will eliminate several wastewater lagoons that are close to schools and neighborhoods and have struggled to meet S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control regulations. The project will also benefit McEntire Joint National Guard Base, which has operated without being connected to public sewer service since its airfield was established in 1943.

A series of public meetings during the project’s planning process in 2019 aimed to inform residents about the benefits of the new system. These meetings allowed members of the community to hear from County Councilmembers and review maps and plans with engineers, as well as sign up for services.

Residents are not required to join the public sewer system. During the design phase, however, those living along its path could sign up to tap into the system without paying a tap fee.

Construction on the water and sewer project is set to begin in the first quarter of 2020 and end by late 2021.