GUC buying Grimesland sewer main, eyes town's system

A new subdivision outside Grimesland prompted Greenville Utilities Commission to purchase a portion of a nine-mile force main that feeds the town’s sewage to GUC’s wastewater treatment plant.

GUC’s Board of Commissioners approved the purchase along with granting additional sewer discharge capacity to the town when it met last week.

GUC Attorney Phillip Dixon said the developers of Luke’s Landing, which is next to the force main, will request annexation into Greenville’s city limits. “It would be logical and reasonable to attach to the force main to provide sanitary sewer service,” Dixon said.

The developers want to build a pump station, a structure that helps move wastewater through sewage lines, and connect it to the force main

“We concluded it would be prudent for us to acquire that portion of the force main that extends from Luke’s Landing to the terminus at Brook Valley,” Dixon said.

The Town of Grimesland, which operates a sewer system but pipes its wastewater to Greenville, obtained a U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development loan to build the force main.

The town owes about $207,000 on the loan, so GUC will pay that amount to obtain 4.6 miles of the force main. GUC will use its cash balance to fund the purchase, GUC General Manager/CEO Tony Cannon said.

During discussions about obtaining ownership of the force main, Grimesland and GUC began discussions about GUC taking over the town’s sanitary sewer system.

Along with voting to purchase the portion the force main, the GUC board authorized staff to obtain an option to acquire the remaining portion of the force main and the town’s sewer system over the next 18 months, if it’s deemed economically practical and feasible.

The board also agreed to grant additional sewer discharge capacity to Grimesland.

GUC has allowed Grimesland to discharge up to 70,000 gallons of sanitary sewer per day through the force main. Dixon said Grimesland has grown in recent years and is seeking additional capacity of 80,300 gallons, bringing the total to 155,400 gallons per day.