Hart County Water & Sewer Authority to Discuss Pioneer Permit Tonight

Members of the Hart County Water and Sewer Authority are expected to hear recommendations tonight from a subcommittee formed to study whether to allow a South Carolina utility to piggyback on Hart County’s water withdrawal permit. 

Pioneer Rural Water District is planning to build a new water treatment plant near Fair Play in Oconee County, SC but they have not yet received a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers allowing them to draw water from Hartwell Lake. 

Last month, the board heard from Chuck Joy, Engineer with Design South and Terry Pruitt, Pioneer General Manager. 

Joy told the board Pioneer, which serves about 8,000 water customers in South Oconee and Anderson counties, has been buying raw water wholesale from Seneca and Westminster but the rates continue to go up. He said Pioneer has been waiting for years for a water withdrawal permit from the Corps.

“Three years ago, we began with the Corps of Engineers, as  you did over 12 years ago, to procure allocation in the lake,” Joy said. “When the lake was established so many years ago, there was a pool established in the lake for municipal and industrial use. You tapped that pool and you have an allocation from the Corps of Engineers. We started three years ago and here we are today and we still have  not been allocated the five-million gallons we’ve requested.” 

Joy said, as a work around, Corps officials suggested Pioneer contact Hart County and ask to piggyback on their permit until they have one of their own.  However, Water and Sewer Authority board chair Hugh Holland said the board needed time to consider the request.

A subcommittee was then formed, which met earlier this month.  Pioneer is planning to build a $15-million dollar water treatment plant near Fair Play in a new industrial park.

Hart County commission chair Joey Dorsey fears there could be competition or water, if the permit is approved, with Hart County’s planned expansion of the Gateway Industrial Park.

 “There’s always that possibility and we need to understand the whole proposal,” he said. “I have not had a chance to look into the whole proposal, but I do know there’s potential for some competition there.”

Pioneer is asking for a three-year lease from Hart County while they wait for the Corps to approve their withdrawal permit.

Under the terms of the proposal, Pioneer would pay Hart County $30,000 a year for the privilege.  The Hart County Water and Sewer Authority Meeting Takes Place Tonight at 6p at their offices in Hartwell.