Florence City Leaders Discuss Continued Water Disruptions

Florence, South Carolina – City leaders in Florence convened on Wednesday evening to discuss ongoing issues with the city’s water systems. This comes in the wake of multiple problems with the Florence water treatment plant in August that left several residents without water or experiencing low water pressure.

Tropical Storm Debby Causes Water System Issues

The tumultuous weather from Tropical Storm Debby in August resulted in the water treatment plant taking in water imbued with “highly organic material.” This occurrence resulted in the plant’s temporary shutdown, leading to unsettling water disruptions in Florence city.

Operational Improvement Measures

Utility Operations Director, Josh Whittington, highlighted measures taken to prevent future incidents. He said, “We have enlisted a third-party engineer to overlook our operations. They will help evaluate and counter-check our source water conditions and chemical calculations to ensure proper water treatment. The critical objective is operator training and devising a contingency plan for probable future encounters like the storm”. However, a precise timeline for the engineer’s assessment remains undetermined but is anticipated to continue for a couple of months.

Funding for Water Systems Improvement

Michael Hemingway, the Utility Planning and Economic Development Director, pointed out, “Our city was granted $9,908,062 from the South Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority via the South Carolina Infrastructure Investment Program (SCIIP) for water production and distribution system improvements”. This substantial funding includes provisions for significant water system improvement projects including water lines along Meadors Road, Whitehall Shores Road, Darlington Street, Southborough Road, Hollyberry Lane, and reforms for various local water treatment plants.

Update on Opioid Funding

Officials also touched upon the topic of opioid funding. The city manager, Scotty Davis, stated that in 2022, “We designated $25,000 to perform a Request For Proposal (RFP) on firms that will research opioid addiction within the city. We have yet to begin this proposal”. Davis also raised concerns about whether the research should be aimed towards specific populations and how the resulting recommendations would align with the state’s requirements for use of the allocated funds.

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As Florence city leaders continue to address these water disruptions, the residents eagerly await improvements in the water systems and look forward to user-centric solutions.