ST. GEORGE – A groundbreaking ceremony was held in St. George on Tuesday for the Lake Marion Regional Water System’s Winding Woods Reach and elevated water tank.
This new reach and elevated storage tank will supply water to the Winding Woods Commerce Park, Woodland High School, the Dorchester County Courthouse and the greater St. George area.
“Throughout my Congressional tenure, I have made it my mission to fix the water issues in this region. Without adequate potable water, residents in this area will continue to have significant health care and economic opportunity challenges,” Congressman James E. Clyburn said at the ceremony.
“Today’s groundbreaking for the Winding Woods Reach builds on the tremendous progress the Lake Marion Regional Water Agency has made over the last two decades and will help ensure that current and future generations continue to benefit from this life-changing project,” he said.
The Winding Woods project includes a 7.8-mile waterline reach from Harleyville to St. George, which is scheduled to be completed in January 2023, and a 500,000-gallon water tank, scheduled to be completed in November 2022.
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The project also includes the installation of 28 fire hydrants along the new reach.
Lake Marion Regional Water Agency Chairman Johnnie Wright said, “The Winding Woods Water Tank and Winding Woods Reach project will make an important connection to the Lake Marion Regional Water System, and it will complete the agency’s goal of bringing water to the St. George area.”
Wright is also chairman of Orangeburg County Council.
The anticipated cost of the project is $17.6 million, which includes $12.8 million for the Winding Woods Reach and $4.8 million for the Winding Woods elevated water tank.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is funding 75% of the project and Dorchester County is funding 25%.
Santee Cooper, which owns and manages the water system, helped acquire the property for the agency and worked with consultants from Hazen and Sawyer on engineering and design, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is constructing the project.
“We are proud to help bring a reliable water supply to the some of the rural areas in this part of the state with our partners at the Lake Marion Regional Water Agency and Santee Cooper,” said Lt. Col. Andrew Johannes, commander, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston District.
“Providing this type of environmental infrastructure and watching the development and economic growth for the residents and businesses has been very rewarding,” he said.
Jane Campbell, senior director of Environmental and Water Systems with Santee Cooper, said, “An ample supply of clean water is important for a healthy, prosperous community. It is critical for the people who live here, and it is a game changer for economic development.”
Calhoun, Berkeley, Dorchester and Orangeburg counties and the Town of Santee are the members of the Lake Marion Regional Water Agency.
The LMWRA, working in partnership with Santee Cooper and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, has constructed over 45 miles of water transmission lines to provide clean drinking water, enhanced fire suppression and economic growth.
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