Anderson County looking at regional sewer authority – Pendleton area

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By Stan Welch
The Anderson County Council held a special called meeting last Friday to receive information concerning the process and procedures for the possible formation of a regional sewer authority uniting existing customers and future users of the Pendleton wastewater treatment plant.
The towns of Westminster, Walhalla, and Seneca currently send their flow to the existing plant, which has a permitted capacity of eight million gallons a day. The city of Clemson and unincorporated areas of Anderson county are potential future users.
Kevin Laird, consulting engineer for the county, Chip Bentley, of ACOG, and Chris Eliazar, the director of the Oconee Joint Sewer Authority, were on hand to present information and advice on the possible formation of an authority to oversee the consolidation of services and operations.
Eliazar explained that the Oconee Authority customers pay according to the capacity used. He also explained that the position of the meters for the customers established liability for the lines and the transfer stations involved. Repairs upstream from the meter is the Authority’s liability; downstream is the customer’s liability That was an issue that Councilman Brett Sanders had raised.
Anderson County Wastewater Director Derek Singleton informed the Council that the county is currently allocated two hundred thousand gallons per day in the Pendleton plant. The purpose of the formation of an authority would be to consolidate and share the costs of construction and operations of the facility. The Pendleton/ Clemson area is experiencing rapid and constant growth; both industrial and residential.
The meeting was held to receive information only. No official action has been proposed at this time. The establishment of such an authority would require passage of an ordinance’ which in turn would require three separate, announced readings and a public hearing.