Spartanburg Water Purchases 72 acres of Land along Municipal Reservoir #1
Staff Report From Spartanburg CEO
Thursday, June 20th, 2019
In keeping with our mission to provide quality drinking water in a reliable manner, Spartanburg Water has purchased a piece of property along Municipal Reservoir #1 that will help protect our drinking water resources while maintaining affordable rates for our customers.
The 72 acre property along the South Pacolet River is located at 2290 Rainbow Lake Road, Inman, SC. It includes 3,000 feet of shoreline and a 2,400 square foot house.
There are several benefits to this purchase. Not only does it ensure the property will not be developed in a way that would impact Municipal Reservoir #1, it also allows Spartanburg Water to establish a centralized Watershed Management Field Station by converting the existing house on the property. Here, staff will be able to monitor and sample water from all three drinking water reservoirs from one central location, making it quicker and easier to respond to changing water quality conditions.
In 2018, the SWS staff collected 3,000 samples. This year, the projected samples are expected to exceed 4,000. Protecting our drinking water reservoirs prior to treatment and distribution to customers continues to ensure that water rates are affordable.
“We have taken a number of steps over the past few years to protect the source water and ensure that steps are taken to maintain a high standard of water quality, while ensuring drinking water at an affordable cost,” said Sue Schneider, Chief Executive Officer. “Our Capital Improvement Plan includes actions to protect our watershed and ensures improvements to the treatment process.”