Walterboro Press & Standard

Oct. 2, 2010
reprinted with permission of the Walterboro Press & Standard

NO SECRET. A map of possible future waterlines to Edisto Beach shows controversial routes crossing Edisto Island and Botany Bay WMA. Obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, the map has been kept secret for months, since it was accompanied with a letter dated June 27, 2010.

Newly acquired information in a looming water war at Edisto Beach indicates previous options for providing better drinking water and improved fire protection have been joined by a renewed effort to bring water lines across Edisto from Charleston County. Highly controversial, a similar effort failed over a decade ago when it was opposed by the Edisto Island Community Association, whose 1,200 residents resoundingly rejected the idea.

Revealed by a Freedom of Information Act request by the Edisto Island Preservation Alliance, a recent map shows two suggested water line routes to the beach. It has re-ignited the island’s diverse population, which considers its rural way of life threatened by bringing water to the beach and its upscale, predominately white community.       

One of the map’s options runs a line down Edisto’s National Scenic Byway, the other across the North Edisto River and through the Botany Bay Wildlife Management Area/Heritage Preserve. Both are likely to be met with resistance from residents and major environmental organizations already primed for the fight. The map and an accompanying letter offer no other alternatives.
In a letter to Town Councilman Tommy Mann, who heads the Water and Sewer Committee, William H. Bingham, Jr., president of American Engineering, said “We have identified two potential alternatives to receive drinking water from Charleston Public Works in Charleston County.” Both alternatives involve thousands of feet of pipe “being directionally drilled through wetland areas,” and  both routes will “require permits from South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC), the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and Coastal Resource Management (CRM) to insure that there are no deleterious impacts on the environment.”

Interviewed Wednesday, Bingham said the Town of Edisto Beach “asked me to develop a map and to give them, if they were to get water from Charleston, what routes could they take to get there.” He added there was “not a tremendous amount” of work in developing the map. “It’s not a project yet… all I know is what I was asked to do and what I did, which was provide them the best two alternatives if they were to get water from Charleston CPW to Edisto Beach, how would they go about doing that and what line length it would take to go each way, and that’s as far as I’ve done. Nothing other than that letter has been done; that’s it.” However Bingham said he is aware of information provided by his firm to the town several years ago with other options. He added the new information is “not intended to supplant any other information we’ve given in previous PDRs, it’s additional information to go along with it.  
Responding to an email request Mann said “The water line is only one consideration being given. The others that will also receive consideration are Reverse Osmosis and Deep Well. NO plan is in the short term objectives for Edisto. Both American Engineering and BP Barber submitted successful proposals for the town. At the present time neither one has done update work to previous years’ work for the town. We will use the existing work performed by all engineering firms that has been prepared in the past wherever possible.”

Former Town Councilman Archie Johnston, who was replaced by Mann last year, knows the long history of the beach’s water problem, and piping water across Edisto Island is not an option he would consider.

“The top two priorities identified by the Water and Sewer Committee I chaired during my term were, first, to provide pure water in sufficient quantities to meet the increasing consumer demand being caused by increasing tourism and larger houses. Second, we had to assure there was always sufficient quantity available to meet emergency fire demands concurrent with the consumer demand. The third priority was to provide better quality water.

“In mid 2008 the Town authorized an engineering design of a Master Plan to address these priorities. The engineering company, Earth Tech from North Charleston, won the bid to develop this plan.
To meet the projected combined consumer and fire demands, Earth Tech’s design recommends significant piping improvements and additional elevated or ground storage. This engineering design is in the hands of the Town and available to the current Water and Sewer Committee.

“Although third in priority, we also saw the need to begin sizing and pricing a Reverse Osmosis system for the town because other towns were beginning to experience salt water intrusion and, at the same time, our citizens were requesting better quality water. So as a part of the distribution design, we asked Earth Tech to design an RO system to process the Town’s total flow requirements.
“An RO system that would handle 100 percent of the Town’s needs was estimated to cost approximately $4 to $4.5 million dollars and have annual operating and maintenance costs, including energy costs, of approximately $360,000. 

“If better quality water is now the town’s top priority, I would definitely recommend the proposed RO system. This type system solves the impurities problems and meets quality. This is a proven system.  The Isle of Palms, Mount Pleasant and Hilton Head are all successfully using RO for the same reasons. Incidentally, Earth Tech was the project manager for Hilton Head’s RO plant so I feel comfortable withtheir cost estimates.

“Importing water from off the island was rejected by the citizens of Edisto Beach and Edisto Island some years ago for a variety of economic, social and environmental reasons.  I would estimate a line down 174 would cost $10 to $12 million dollars at a minimum.  John’s Island installed an 11 mile line that cost approximately $16 million and they are still in debt and concerned about being able to pay for it in these times.”

He concluded “RO is definitely the way to go. It is the least expensive and you have control of your system. You are not at the mercy of someone outside your town. In my opinion, to even consider looking for another off- island source is a waste of money and time.”