Black River

September 1, 2011, Pawleys Island, SC - It has been nearly five years in the making, but construction is now underway on the Georgetown County Water and Sewer District’s West Georgetown County “Black River Water Treatment Facility.” The Georgetown County Water and Sewer District Board of Directors recently approved $8.3 million in construction costs for the first construction phase of a new water treatment facility that will ultimately provide high quality water service to all of the unincorporated portions of western Georgetown County, except those customers served by Browns Ferry Water Company.

When finally completed, the water treatment facility will utilize water from the Black River to produce up to 8 million gallons of high quality water each day for drinking water and industrial use. The first phase of the water treatment plant facilities and the associated extensive water transmission system is expected to be operational in the spring of 2012. The project represents more than five years of planning and will be one of the District’s largest and most complicated capital improvement projects. The first phase includes a 2.5 million gallon processed water holding tank; a high pressure booster pumping station capable of delivering 2,100 gallons per minute; a new raw water production well; 15,000 feet of 20-inch transmission mains to be located along Highway 51; 33,500 feet of 18-inch water mains extending from Highway 51 to U.S. Highway 521 paralleling Brick Chimney Road along the power line; and 19,000 feet of 18-inch water mains extending from Highway 51 to Choppee Road.