Florence, South Carolina – Florence city authorities gave important updates on the continuous delays in the city’s water delivery system during a Wednesday night meeting, a situation that has left many citizens experiencing great difficulties.
The problem started in August when Tropical Storm Debby’s flooding caused the Florence water treatment plant to be forced off-line. The storm seriously affected the operational capacity of the facility by bringing water loaded with highly organic materials. Many homes thus suffered inadequate water pressure or, in some cases no water supply at all. Josh Whittington, the utility operations director, clarified that the unexpected flood of organic waste overwhelmed the system and required a temporary shutdown to solve the problem.
Florence has responded to these difficulties by consulting a third-party engineering company to assess and suggest changes to the water treatment processes. Whittington pointed out that while future improvements depend on this assessment, the completion date is still unknown and estimations call for many months.
Michael Hemingway, the Director of Utility Planning and Economic Development, announced a major cash boost to help the city rebuild and be future resilient. Under the South Carolina Infrastructure Investment Program (SCIIP), Florence received a grant from the South Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority totaling $9,908,062. These money are set aside for numerous important initiatives meant to improve water output and distribution around the city.
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New water pipes will be installed on Meadors Road, Whitehall Shores Road, Darlington Street, Southborough Road, Hollyberry Lane among other areas. These improvements range in scale from smaller 3-inch pipes to bigger 12-inch lines, meant to strengthen the integrity and capacity of the water network.
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Apart from improving water lines, the grant will help to renovate and maintain various local water treatment plants including the River Road, Pine Street, GE, and Oakdale Water Treatment Plants. These initiatives complement a larger plan to not only minimize the immediate disturbances but also strengthen the city against upcoming water-related issues.
The conference also addressed other community issues, including a continuing project funded last year with $25,000 to address opioid addiction in Florence. Under this project, companies specializing in addiction rehabilitation and support services will be found and engaged using a Request For Proposal (RFP).
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As these projects and efforts advance, city officials committed themselves to openness and continuous public communication. Although they recognize the challenges experienced by the citizens, they hope that the intended improvements will greatly strengthen the general public health infrastructure and water system resilience of the city.
