South Carolina – With channeling more than $4 million in state money, several Grand Strand and Pee Dee cities will be able to strengthen their crucial infrastructure. The South Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA) provides this much-needed investment in order to update vital infrastructure including water and sewage service. From the first phase of the state’s 2025 grants, Conway, Myrtle Beach, and Mullins each landed $1.5 million among the grantees.
The funding comes from a general $34 million investment that will help 24 counties, therefore affecting an estimated 91,000 citizens. These awards are considered as pillar for tackling aging infrastructure, advancing environmental health, and driving economic development as well as for solving
Myrtle Beach takes on stormwater and sewer upgrades
Myrtle Beach plans to move and upgrade the sewer pump station on 24th Avenue North with this money. This initiative fits the city’s continuous work on its fifth ocean outfall project, which seeks to completely rethink stormwater control. By gathering and purifying stormwater before it returns to the ocean and by removing ugly pipes from beaches, ocean outfalls significantly help to safeguard the coast.
“Outfalls are important because they remove stormwater pipes from the beach, help collect trash and filter water before it gets back into the ocean. This project will replace 11 stormwater pipes on the beach when complete in 2026,” the City of Myrtle Beach said in a social media post.
R.H. Moore Company is doing the work; already, there is obvious improvement under place. New pictures taken on the building site highlight the city’s dedication to improving its sewage and drainage infrastructure.
Conway and Mullins await project details
Although Myrtle Beach’s plans are well-documented, specifics on how Conway and Mullins will distribute their $1.5 million grants are unknown. Local officials in these cities are expected to soon list their priorities, most likely with an eye toward necessary upgrades in infrastructure.
The awards correspond with a period of very urgent need of infrastructure development. Many places have aged water mains, undersized sewer lines, and outdated pump stations that have burdened local systems; renovations are therefore desperately needed.
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Strategic investments for a growing state
As one of the fastest-growing states in the country, South Carolina requires better infrastructure to help with this expansion. The RIA’s Executive Director, Bonnie Ammons, underlined the need of these initiatives in maintaining environmental quality and promoting sustainable development.
“As one of the fastest-growing states in the country, strategic investments in South Carolina’s water, sewer and stormwater infrastructure will continue to be critical to ensure the state’s future environmental health and safety, facilitate long-term sustainability of local utilities, and catalyze economic development and growth around the state,” said Executive Director Bonnie Ammons in a statement earlier this month.
“With the assistance of RIA state grants, local governments and utilities can better prepare for the future and provide reliable service to both existing and new customers.”
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Comprehensive goals for statewide impact
The $34 million distributed this round meets a variety of requirements. Most of the money goes toward capital projects such as rebuilding sewer lines and replacing failing water mains. Six initiatives also aim to boost infrastructure capacity to support industrial growth, hence fostering employment creation.
Beyond building, the RIA has given ten municipalities planning funds. Through mapping of existing infrastructure, developing capital improvement plans, and assessing stormwater effects, these programs seek long-term profitability. For rural and small systems that may lack resources for such evaluations, this proactive approach is particularly important.
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Leveraging local resources
The state grants fit a larger funding plan combining RIA resource with more than $50 million in municipal and other funding. This cooperative strategy guarantees the best possible influence of every dollar invested, therefore addressing public health, environmental protection, and economic sustainability.
Awards of grants follow a competitive process whereby applications are assessed according to criteria like project viability, predicted results, and degree of problem seriousness. Recipients must also help the projects by funding non-construction expenses and sometimes providing money for actual building.
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A path toward resiliency
For communities like Grand Strand and Pee Dee, the funds indicate a dedication to resilience and progress rather than only financial aid. Residents should expect better services, better environmental results, and higher quality of living as these infrastructure initiatives take effect.
These expenditures will not only meet current needs but also provide the foundation for ongoing growth in the next years. From improved Myrtle Beach sewage lines to upcoming Conway and Mullins plans, the influence of the funding will be felt for next generations.
A list of grant recipients for the first round of competitive grants for fiscal year 2025 is below:
Grantee/County Grant/Amount
- Anderson County Anderson $1,500,000
- Bamberg County Bamberg $856,000
- Barnwell, City of Barnwell $242,000
- Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Authority Beaufort $1,500,000
- Bishopville, City of Lee $1,500,000
- Blackville, Town of Barnwell $250,000
- Chester, City of Chester $250,000
- Columbia, City of Richland $1,500,000
- Conway, City of Horry $1,500,000
- Dorchester County Dorchester $1,500,000
- Greenwood Metropolitan District Greenwood $1,500,000
- Hardeeville, City of Jasper $1,000,000
- Heath Springs, Town of Lancaster $187,500
- Hilton Head Public Service District Beaufort $1,500,000
- Kershaw Co. and Lee Co. Regional Water Authority/Town of Lynchburg Lee $250,000
- Lane, Town of Williamsburg $250,000
- Laurens County Water & Sewer Commission Laurens $1,500,000
- Marlboro County Marlboro $1,500,000
- Metropolitan Sewer Subdistrict Greenville $825,000
- Mitford Rural Water District Chester $235,000
- Mullins, City of Marion $1,500,000
- Myrtle Beach, City of Horry $1,500,000
- Newberry County Newberry $678,750
- Newberry, City of Newberry $1,500,000
- Ninety Six Commission of Public Works Greenwood $1,279,465
- North Charleston Sewer District Charleston $1,500,000
- Pickens Regional Joint Water System Pickens $1,500,000
- Richland County Richland $1,500,000
- Ridgeway, Town of Fairfield $1,500,000
- Scotia, Town of Hampton $125,000
- Southside Rural Community Water District Pickens $1,253,472
- Springfield, Town of Orangeburg $250,000
- Union, City of Union $687,885
- Winnsboro, Town of Fairfield $182,500
