Florence releases report following system-wide water pressure issues

The city of Florence has just released a comprehensive report detailing the sequence of events and preliminary findings concerning the system-wide water pressure issues that confronted its residents last week.

Addressing Water Quality Concerns

To resolve water quality issues and improve the overall performance of the system, the City of Florence collaborated with CDM Smith, a consultancy firm, who initially designed and supervised the construction of the Surface Water Treatment plant. This alliance forged by the city signifies its commitment towards ensuring better water quality within the city limits.

Training and guidance provided by CDM Smith operators, in sync with the city staff members and AECOM, the city’s water/sewer line consulting engineering firm, is expected to yield substantial improvements in surface and groundwater regulations and control. The city is dedicated to preventing future issues by implementing and following new protocols based on the detailed investigation.

Unveiling the Timeline

Last Friday, Florence officials successfully brought the Surface Water treatment plant back online and restored system pressures. The following day, the required bacteriological collection was carried out, involving testing samples sourced from various parts of the system. By midday on August 18, the boil advisory was lifted.

On Monday, an extensive debriefing session was conducted with all city utility staff. A detailed timeline of the entire incident was created to aid public understanding and identify areas, which required improvisation to prevent such occurrences in the future.

Restoring Public Trust and Confidence

The City Manager, Scotty Davis, offered his apologies for the inconveniences suffered by the city’s customers over the past weekend. He emphasized the allocation of significant resources by the City Council to improve water quality, thereby restoring the trust of their customers.

“We are diligently working on appropriate protocols to regain the trust of the people we serve,” he reassured. Davis also encouraged residents to reach out with concerns or queries to the City of Florence or SCDES directly.

The current incident has spotlighted the aging infrastructure of the city and the immense need for progressive change. The City of Florence’s commitment to improve and further advance the city’s water systems is now under a broader public scrutiny, generating hopes for a more reliable and robust water system in the future.

Stay Connected

Residents are being encouraged to stay informed and updated about the progress and improvements in the water system. Regular updates and any essential notices will be available for the public on the City of Florence’s official website.