Sewer line
Photo provided by the city of Mauldin

The cities of Simpsonville, Mauldin and Fountain Inn were awarded over $23 million in grants to from the South Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority, a state agency that assists communities with financing for qualified infrastructure projects for water and wastewater systems.

Simpsonville received almost $10 million and will use the funds for the Lower Reedy Basin Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation Project, which will work to replace deteriorating clay sewer pipes and brick manholes that were installed more than half a century ago.

“In receiving almost $10,000,000 in grant funding from the Rural Infrastructure Authority, the city of Simpsonville will greatly improve its sewer infrastructure, which has exceeded its useful life,” said City Administrator Dianna Gracely. “At no cost to Simpsonville taxpayers, the city is prioritizing a project that will lead to greater sustainability in the Upstate, address environment quality issues, facilitate continued growth in Greenville County and provide reliable and resilient infrastructure to Simpsonville residents. It’s a win-win for everyone.”

While Simpsonville is using its awarded funds towards the Lower Reedy Basin Sanitary Sewer project, Mauldin will use its $3.4 million grant to support its Basin RG2 Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation Project, which includes repairing and replacing:

  • 12,500 feet of clay sewer pipe
  • 73 brick manholes
  • 120 clay service laterals

The city will also contribute almost $600,000 in local match funding for construction and engineering services related to the project, which is expected to five to six months from design to completion.

“This is an important project for the city of Mauldin that will positively impact the quality of life for our residents,” said Mayor Terry Merritt. “These funds will allow us to make critical improvements to our sewer system, ensuring we continue to protect public health and the environment while preparing for future growth and development.”

Rounding out the trio is Fountain Inn, which received almost $10 million to support its Durbin Creek Basin Sanitary Rehabilitation Project. Through the project, the city plans to:

  • Remove substantial inflow and infiltration from the sewer system and meet the requirements for I/I reduction mandated by ReWa’s Wet-Weather Improvements Program
  • Reduce sewer system overflows and backups
  • Remove old clay sewers, brick manholes and service laterals
  • Install PVC and ductile iron sewer lines

“The city of Fountain Inn has invested heavily in rehabilitating its sewer collection system over the past decade,” said City Administrator Shawn Bell. “However, this award of $10 million from the Rural Infrastructure Authority will allow us to substantially expedite our timeline of eliminating all vitrified clay pipe in our system.”

The RIA awarded a total of $1.369 billion to water, sewer and stormwater infrastructure projects in over 200 communities across South Carolina. The agency received more than 300 applications totaling over $2 billion and 70% of applications were funded, including at least one project in every county.

Related Topics
  • Fountain Inn
  • golden strip
  • Mauldin
  • Simpsonville

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