Rural communities get public water service

Jun 12, 2009 — Florence Morning News

Jamie Rogers

Jun. 12, 2009 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- KINGSTREE -- Two small communities nestled on the border of Clarendon and Williamsburg counties will no longer be dependent on wells for suitable drinking water, thanks to a $545,200 federal grant.

The funds will pay for a public water infrastructure to be established in parts of the two counties.

Residents of the Horse Branch community in Clarendon County and Pergamos community in Williamsburg County are expected to have access to public water by the end of the summer because of the grant, Clarendon County Councilman Benton Blakely said.

"What's so great is that this was a joint effort between Williamsburg and Clarendon counties," he said. "It's going to provide water for both counties."

Blakely said he's been trying to get public water piped into the community for more than 10 years.

About seven years ago, efforts were made to get a grant through the Santee Lynches Council of Governments, but that movement failed because there wasn't enough support from the community, Blakely said.

Those in favor of public water turned to Barrineau Public Utilities Inc., a not-for-profit, corporation based at Barrineau Crossroads, for help.

"Harry Askins, the engineer for Barrineau Utilities, was instrumental in this project," Blakely said.

Askins said residents outside Barrineau had been asking for water service for more than five years.

"We had people coming up to the office asking for service, but they were just outside of the service area," he said. "This (project) took a long time."

Though some residents were in favor of the project, others remained skeptical, Blakely said. Rallying the community's support for the water project was still a large task.

"They were saying, 'I got water, I don't need water, why do I need to pay for water?'" he said.

But residents' minds started to change last summer -- one of the driest on record for the community, Blakely said.

"When you have a dry season, that's when your problems come in," he said. "Last year, you had citizens with their garden hose running water from their house to their neighbor's house."

Private wells were dangerously shallow or empty, and some of the water that was available was bad, Blakely said.

The majority of residents in the two communities began supporting the idea and the project was given the green light after receiving the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Grant and a federal loan, together totaling more than $2.5 million. Interim financing is being provided by Citizens Bank of Olanta, Askins said.

"It's been a long time coming and we are getting closer every day," Blakely said. "It hasn't been an easy task."

Public water access will make the communities more appealing to developers and promote growth, he said.

"Infrastructure is the key to the future; that's the key to growing," Blakely said. "If you don't have your water in, you are just going to be stagnant. You're not going anywhere."

Newstex ID: 35719066