Orangeburg receives $500,000 for sewer; grant allows replacement of aging main

The grant will allow the city to replace an aging stretch of sewer main at once, instead of doing the work in stages.

“We were fortunate to have been awarded $500,000 for a sewer project that will replace the 8-inch sewer main in the Hampton Drive area,” Orangeburg Department of Public Utilities spokesman Randy Etters said.

The grant was announced Monday by the S.C. Rural Infrastructure Authority. The authority is providing more than $13 million for a total of 27 projects across the state.

The Orangeburg project will include the replacement of 19 manholes and associated infrastructure.

“This area is older and has been plagued by significant infiltration of groundwater, which has been over-working our existing pumps,” Etters said. “Rehabilitation of the line was not feasible.

“The total cost of the project is estimated at $879,000 and the balance will be paid by the DPU. The grant is important as it allows us to complete the project at one time as opposed to staggering it over a several-year period.”

Combined, the S.C. Rural Infrastructure Authority grants will benefit more than 39,000 customers in 20 South Carolina counties.

“Strategic investments in water, sewer and storm drainage infrastructure help bridge the gap between a system’s most critical needs and projects that build capacity for the future,” S.C. Rural Infrastructure Authority Executive Director Bonnie Ammons said in a release.

“These grants support both systems that require immediate attention, as well as long-term projects that prepare utilities for changes in population, economic opportunities and regulatory requirements,” Ammons said.