Oconee County, SC Water Officials to Meet Tonight With Hart Co Water & Sewer Authority
Officials with the Pioneer Rural Water District in Oconee County, SC will be meeting tonight with the Hart County Water and Sewer Authority.
Terry Pruitt, Pioneer’s general manager said they hope to come to an agreement with Hart County on using their water withdrawl easement to get water from Lake Hartwell until they are issued one of their own from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
“We have to have that easement for the intake at the end of Durham Road,” Pruitt said. “I’m hoping they will approve an agreement to apply for that easement that we could use for our intake.”
Pioneer is planning to build a new water treatment plant and intake system in Oconee County’s Golden Corner Commerce Park, off S.C. 59 near Fair Play.
Pruitt said having such a plant will allow Pioneer to treat and sell its own water and eliminate wholesale purchase agreements with the cities of Seneca and Westminster. Last spring Pioneer counted 6,400 retail customers across parts of southern Oconee County and northwestern Anderson County.
If the Hart County Water and Sewer Authority board agrees, Hart County would then have to apply for a piggy-back easement on Pioneer’s behalf.
Under the terms of the proposed contract, Pioneer would pay Hart County for the easement. While no exact amount has yet been agreed upon, Pionoeer officials estimate the payment would be around $30,000 a month.
Tonight’s Water and Sewer Authority meeting takes place at 6:00 pm at the County Cooperative Extension Service Building in Hartwell.