We really don’t need two water towers at the Laurens County Hospital. And, don’t worry, one will be coming down in the coming months.
The Laurens County Water and Sewer Commission has constructed a new, 1 Million gallons water tank in close proximity to its existing tank - planning to de-commission the older tank - in order to provide expended service to the Hospital, Piedmont Tech, the Johnson Detention Center and the Professional Park. Two medical facilities and a news subdivision also are adjacent to this property. The new tank and another, new tank on Milam Road at Hwy 72 are connected by an expanded water line.
Where the new tank is located is a growth area, almost equal-distance between Clinton and Laurens.
All this — and much more that will be outlined in the coming weeks - is guided by the commission’s long-range planning, an effort to sustain the infrastructure needed for expanding residential development and current/future business and industrial growth. The commission’s board of directors received a planning update at their Aug. 25 meeting.
The telecommunications “halo” that was a prominent feature atop the current tank, and now is atop the new tank, was one of the delaying factors in getting the current tank de-commissioned.
Commission General Manager Jeff Field said telecommunications companies lease these prime, aerial spots.
LCWSC wanted the antennas off the top of the new tank, but that was not meant to be.
They tried locating the equipment on a “ring” below the tank itself, and that seemed to work.
One of the telecommunications companies realized, however, that its signal was being blocked. The companies and the commission struck a compromise to have the equipment on top of the new tank, as well.
“The old tank may be up a little longer than expected” because of this, Field told the board. “Phone carriers are covering the cost of the old tank’s demolition. That’s an $85,000 savings.”
LCWSC received the operational OK for the new water tank on Aug. 3.
This gives the commission 3 1-Million-Gallon tanks in Laurens County.
The entire water-distribution-enhancement project around the Hospital (which is managed by Prisma Health) is an $11.9 Million effort, and it should be closed out in October.
This Hospital-to-Milam-Road supply-line loop includes a complicated boring under a railroad track - it will cost about $2.6M to finish.
Up the road about 20 miles, LCWSC also is active on the Town of Gray Court.
The commission owns the water system there and now is looking for sewer expansion, as well.
In a project envisioned for Feb., 2027, LCWSC is looking at collecting waste from the downtown area to a 2,500-gallon septic tank, treating the waste, and putting it on drain fields. Most of Gray Court now operates on septic tanks, as there is no public sewer, but this is getting more difficult to sustain as growth is coming.
The Fox Creek subdivision is selling behind Gray Court - Owings School. Hwy 101 and other roads are getting upgrades, especially routes to and from nearby I-385. Production continues strong into EVs and Robotics at the massive ZF Transmissions plant, near Gray Court, and the area is near other industrial developments, as well.
This move is in-keeping with LCWSC’s desire to expand its public sewer in the smart-growth areas outlined in the comprehensive plan; also, the commission’s sewer system upgrading is designed to keep existing pipes and facilities operating at maximum efficiency.
It owns and manages a wastewater treatment plant between Joanna and the Newberry County line; however, the distance to a growing community like Gray Court might mean the future construction of another, small wastewater treatment plant.
Field emphasized that this plan for Gray Court’s wastewater is still evolving. “Once it’s installed, the restaurants will have to go to grease reduction,” Field said. “Now, they are on septic tanks, and the town decided how to require people to tap on” to the sewer system.
“The septic tank is expected to be temporary.”
Eventually, the commission will look at getting sewer service from Hwy 14, along Hwy 101, to I-385, Field said. The commission already provides infrastructure within the nearby Connexial Center, a business - industry park joint venture of Laurens Electric and the SC Department of Commerce.
More sewer will “open up undeveloped area around Gray Court,” Field said.
Having a large septic tank for Gray Court, temporarily, will depend on whether of not LCWSC can get started a grant application for money to design the larger project, Field said.
As the water system owner, LCWSC has become more involved with Gray Court.
A very community-minded organization, LCWSC already has assisted with Christmas event. Gray Court’s next event will be Boo on Main, Oct. 24, 4 - 6 p.m. on Main Street.
Also near Gray Court / Fountain Inn is the Woodfields Industrial Park, where LCWSC is installing a sewer lift station. This is a project envisioned for March, 2027.
In this area, Greenville County Water System provides the water, and LCWSC provides the sewer service. Field said there are a few industrial sites left in Woodfields, which is in the highly active I-385 development corridor.
NEXT: Sept. 16: The Metric Road tank and other projects.
