Bluffton, S.C., secures funding for installation of new sewer system in Stoney Creek

(UI) — The Beaufort Jasper Water Sewer Authority, Beaufort County, and the Town of Bluffton worked together to apply for and receive a grant from the South Carolina Infrastructure Investment Program. The award is intended to make establishing a new sewage system in the Stoney Creek Watershed in Bluffton easier.

More than half of the expenditures required for this project were covered by the $5,925,000 award from the South Carolina Infrastructure Investment Program. According to a Beaufort County press release, this project would "decommission" the septic systems on 150 properties in the Stony Creek Watershed and eliminate "the risk of May River contamination from septic system failures."

Following that, the septic systems will be replaced with a "vacuum sewer system that will transport wastewater to a BJSWA treatment plant for treatment and ultimate disposal."

The 2011 May River Watershed Action Plan helped the Town of Bluffton, Beaufort County, and Beaufort Jasper Water Sewer Authority identify the need for this project. The goal of the action plan was to identify and fix issues with the local waterways.

One of the main objectives of the plan, according to Bluffton officials, was to "provide a strategy for assessing and implementing preventative measures to protect the May River from future degradation." Creating alliances like the one with the Beaufort Jasper Water Sewer Authority was one strategy mentioned in the plan to accomplish this.

According to Bluffton Today, County Council Chairman Joseph Passiment stated, "By investing in this vital infrastructure, we are taking a giant leap toward safeguarding the environmental integrity of our cherished waterways and enhancing the quality of life for our residents. This collaborative effort exemplifies our unwavering commitment to sustainable development and responsible stewardship, ensuring a brighter future for Beaufort County."

This project has a budget of $9,550,000, according to Beaufort County, of which $5,925,000 will be provided by the South Carolina Infrastructure Investment Program and $3,625,000 by regional municipalities.

The county anticipates finishing this change to the sewage systems by 2026.

This story was originally published by Bluffton Today.

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