Answers to Questions Regarding the Recent Decision to Change Pickens' Water Source

Thanks to Julia Jordan of Pickens for submitting a list of questions in an attempt to clear up misconceptions about the City’s recent decision to change our water source to a clean and sustainable source that will keep our water bills from rising to 2.5 or 3 times what they are now.

 

We intend to hold rates down, way down, for the long term while investing in an ownership stake of an existing successful water provider instead of spending the $90-$100 Million proposed to build a duplicate plant and transmission system on Lake Krowee just miles from the one already in service. See the answers to the first few of Julia’s questions here. Please submit your own so we can educate each other and feel comfortable with what has been largely misunderstood!

 

What is the quality of the water supply from the Lake Keowee water treatment plant the city proposes to transition to?

 

The City proposes buying an ownership share (not just wholesale water) in the Witty Adkins Water Treatment Plant located in western Pickens County on the Banks of Lake Keowee. The City would then buy water produced at this Pickens County site in bulk (2 MGD) and provide it to the city’s utility customers through its own pipes/meters. The city would maintain all service to the distribution system and storage tanks that serve local customers, would set all rates and handle all billing and customer service along with all other aspects of the local system.

 

The Adkins plant, named after its first General Manager Witty Adkins, is a conventional filtration facility, located in western Pickens County on Lake Keowee. In 2004, the Adkins Water Treatment Plant completed a 30 MGD (million gallons per day) expansion project continuing the facility’s proactive approach to supplying high quality drinking water. Now rated at 60 MGD, production can be further increased to 90 MGD by adding additional pumps. The plant is owned by Greenville Water.

 

To ensure the water’s quality, experienced laboratory personnel test water samples daily. This testing assures that plants water is pure, helping deliver high quality water to over 500,000 upstate residents. The water treated at the plant is of the highest quality available. See this most recent Water Quality Report as required by state law that details testing and quality: https://www.greenvillewater.com/documents/CCR-05.2023.pdf

 

As a backup, the City of Pickens would also have access and an ownership stake in the L.B. Stovall Water Treatment Plant located in Traveler’s rest, which draws water from Table Rock in Pickens County and the Saluda River. This plant is owned by Greenville Water.

 

In July 2000, a state of the art 75 MGD filtration plant was placed in service to provide filtration for all water derived from Table Rock and North Saluda Reservoirs. The plant incorporates Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) technology prior to filtration and is currently one of the largest plants of this type in the United States.

 

How does the quality compare to our current water supply?

 

It is far superior to what is available in City Lake and 12 Mile Creek we currently depend on.

 

Are there any known contaminants in the city’s current water supply?

 

There are known contaminants and it is critical to STOP USING IT as soon as possible. While our water remains safe to drink and within acceptable limits of contamination, it is not anything we want to depend on any longer. Pickens deserves better water now. You’ve rightly demanded ot and the City won’t rest until we all get it. See details here: https://www.cityofpickens.com/.../2023_CCR__(Pickens).pdf