Metropolitan Sewer Subdistrict (Metro) and Piedmont Public Service District (PPSD) recently announced that $7.9 million in funding necessary to begin full-scale rehabilitation of the Piedmont Sewer System has been secured.
Without the support and participation by Piedmont residents this project would not have come to fruition in such a short period of time, officials said.
The project is now set to begin construction in early January 2012 under full ownership of Metro.
“We at Metro appreciate the response of the Piedmont community. We pledge to serve Piedmont in the highest of standards both now and in the future, as we work toward providing a new and improved sanitary sewer system for its residents,” said Jim Freeland, Chairman of the Metro Commission. “We are encouraged by the cooperation and support we received from all parties involved, and look forward to a continued supportive effort in the transition to the new system.”
Metro secured the ability to move forward with the repairs after satisfying the South Carolina Clean Water State Revolving Fund’s requirements for funding.
Those requirements included the acquisition of right-of-way/easements from approximately 200 property owners served by the current Piedmont Sewer System. These rights of ways were vital in updating the century-old system and were obtained in a short period of time with the cooperation of Piedmont residents.
Ed Poore, Chair of Piedmont’s Board of Commissioners, noted, “Our supportive residents really made the difference in the success of obtaining the funding for this project. We are very excited that Piedmont will be served by an improved sewer system once the rehabilitation construction is completed.”
Currently, the Piedmont sewer system is over 100 years old, with substantial portions of construction dating back to the 1800s. The system’s boundaries straddle the Anderson/Greenville county line requiring approvals from both the Anderson County Council and the Greenville County Council to make this project a reality.
Both Metro and Piedmont are grateful to these entities for their support, cooperation and encouragement through this process,” Freeland said.
The SC Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) was also instrumental in making the project and the transfer of ownership from Piedmont to Metro possible by providing funding for the rehabilitation of the existing system.
The funding relieves the financial burden from the system’s customers for the rehabilitation and the average property owner is expected to receive annual savings in taxes and fees from the transfer of the system to Metro.
The upgrades will increase overall efficiency of the system and result in potential energy and wastewater treatment cost savings of a quarter million dollars. Additionally, the rehabilitation will contribute to the improved water quality of the Saluda River by reducing sewer system overflows and exfiltration of wastewater.
The transfer of ownership of the system was made possible through an Intergovernmental Agreement between Metro and Piedmont which states that the Piedmont Sewer System will be consolidated into the Metro District ensuring continuous maintenance and a commitment to provide the highest standards of service to the Piedmont community. The Piedmont Public Service District will continue to provide services including fire protection, street lighting and recreation.
“We are excited to be able to work with districts like Piedmont who are facing issues with failing sanitary sewer collection systems. It is our goal to aid subdistricts in need of assistance by securing funding and providing the management to implement necessary upgrades,” said Jim Gregorie, Vice Chairman of the Metro Commission. “We at Metro dedicate ourselves to providing sustainable wastewater solutions throughout the communities we serve as well as our other local subdistricts”.
The Piedmont Public Service District of Anderson and Greenville Counties provides fire protection, street lighting and recreation to its residents. The special purpose district is governed by a five member board of commissioners elected by the community’s citizens.
The Metropolitan Sewer Sub-District (Metro) is a special purpose district created by the state legislature in 1968 to operate and maintain sanitary sewer facilities. Today, Metro serves approximately 60,000 taxpayers with more than 620 miles of sanitary sewer collector lines and is governed by a five member board of commissioners. This collection system transports wastewater from area homes and businesses to ReWa’s trunk lines and 15 major wastewater treatment plants. Metro’s 168-square mile service area stretches from northern Greenville County in the Travelers Rest area to the southern portions of the county, from Pelham and Woodruff Roads to Laurens County and southwest to Piedmont in Anderson and Greenville County.
