Charleston District Completes Lake Marion Water Treatment Plant
The first tap was turned at the Lake Marion Regional Water Treatment Plant on April 28 to mark the successful completion of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Charleston District’s construction of the new facility. Federal, state and local dignitaries dedicated the new treatment plant that will provide safe, reliable drinking water to as many as six counties and two municipalities along the I-95 corridor.
The tap-turning ceremony featured U.S. Rep. James Clyburn; Lt. Col. Trey Jordan, Commander, USACE Charleston District; Johnnie Wright , Sr., chairman of the Lake Marion Regional Water Agency; and Lonnie Carter, CEO and president of Santee Cooper.
“This project marks another major step to improve the quality of life and plan for economic development for the people of this region, and we’re very proud and excited to play a part in this vital project,” said Lt. Col. Jordan. “The collaboration on the federal, state, regional, and local levels is a great credit to the successful completion of this state-of-the-art water treatment plant.”
The project began in late 2004. In June 2006, due to a funding shortage, construction was partially suspended and the remaining work was resequenced to prevent contract termination. The construction contractor maintained installed equipment and provided site security until additional funding arrived and full construction resumed in April 2007. Water was sent to the first customer in May 2008. The Charleston District’s role will continue during phase II as more waterlines are constructed.
At the time of design, the water treatment plant was the first of its kind on the east coast. It uses the proprietary Zenon membrane filtration technology, the state-of-the-art filtration process for public water systems. It delivers cleaner, clearer water that far exceeds current drinking water standards. It is also more efficient and allows for lower operation and maintenance costs.
The water treatment plant is designed to meet current and future needs of the region. Currently, at full capacity, it can provide 8 million gallons of potable water per day. More membrane filters can be easily added to provide up to 12 million gallons per day. Furthermore, the plant has extra space to build and expand to go up to 18 million gallons per day.
In August 2008, Charleston District is projected to award work for Santee Reach Phase II. A two-mile pipeline will be laid from Highway 6 to an elevated 1-million gallon storage tank on I-95, which will be the main hub from the water treatment plant. From the storage tank, water will be distributed to towns and municipalities throughout the region.
The District’s contractor, MB Kahn Construction Co., was a vital resource in the successful completion of this project and making the design come to life. The water treatment design was a product of Hobbs, Upchurch, and Associates; Joe McGougan, and Marziano & McGougan; and Hazen and Sawyer along with ERC. Several Federal and State agencies also played integral parts, including the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The Lake Marion Regional Water Agency is the system’s governing body, which includes representatives from the counties of Orangeburg, Calhoun, Clarendon, Dorchester, Sumter and Berkeley, the town of Santee, and the city of Sumter. Santee Cooper will own, operate and maintain the treatment plant and water system for the agency.