Pickens Regional Joint Water System discusses new plant, city withdrawal

PICKENS COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) — The Pickens Regional Joint Water System (PRJWS) met with Pickens County Council Monday to discuss plans to build a water treatment plant on Lake Keowee.

The meeting came a month after the city of Pickens withdrew from PRJWS. During a city council meeting in July, Pickens Mayor Isaiah Scipio said the city withdrew from PRJWS because it was too expensive for the city to stay in the partnership. He said the city is now looking to get its water from Greenville Water.

“Our share of costs for construction and operating a new water plant with the regional water group over 20 years would be an eye-watering $43 million,” Scipio said in July. “In contrast, buying into Greenville Water comes at a far more manageable $17 million.”

According to PRJWS’ legal team, the city of Pickens will be held to its contract even though it decided to withdraw from the joint water system. If the city does not continue to pay for its portion, it could be taken to court, according to PRJWS’ attorneys.

“We think their liability is the contract,” an attorney said Monday. “They’re responsible for 27 percent of the water.”

“It’s been explained on more than one occasion that if you pulled out, you wouldn’t have a seat at the table,” Tom Ponder, the chairman of PRJWS, said. “But, you would still have to purchase your water from the Joint Regional Water Authority once it goes online.”

Ponder said he hopes PRJWS can sit down with the city of Pickens to come to an agreement.

“We’d like to go forward with the city of Pickens if they so desire,” Ponder said.

PRJWS said it has completed designs of its water treatment plant and hopes to begin construction in 2025. The project is estimated to cost about $100 million. According to Ponder, PRJWS has received $14 million from grant funding so far.

“We’re continuously looking for funding sources,” Ponder said.

Ponder said the money PRJWS is not able to raise will be reflected in customers’ water bills once the water treatment plant is built.

“The balance would be paid with monthly water rates,” Ponder said. “There would be no need for any water districts or municipalities to borrow any money. All the water would be borrowed through the regional and would be repaid with the water rates.”

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