History

1972

Saluda Valley-Powdersville Water Co., Inc. was created in 1971 to serve drinking water to approximately 1200 customers. Since that time, the Company has continued to grow, and with growth many changes have taken place.

1992

In 1992, our name was changed to Powdersville Water Company, Inc. and the main office was relocated to its present location on SC Highway 81.  At that time the Company served 6200 customers and received all of its water from Easley Combined Utilities. Negotiations with ECU resulted in a reduced service area but an increased water capacity. During this same time frame, the Company contracted with the Greenville Water System for a supplemental source of water, providing a second source of drinking water to the system.

2000

In the year 2000, Duke Energy announced that they intended to sell the Duke water system that included a water treatment plant on Lake Hartwell. With great vision and foresight, Powdersville partnered with several neighboring systems to bid on the Duke systems.

2001

This required a change to a special purpose district. In 2001, Powdersville joined others in receiving a new State charter declaring them Special Purpose Districts and the company name was then changed to the Powdersville Water. Collectively, these newly-formed districts bid on the Duke system and were successful. As part of this transaction, twelve water districts (including Powdersville Water) formed the Anderson Regional Joint Water System (ARJWS). ARJWS brought the third source of water to Powdersville Water that is still currently utilized. The ARJWS Board is comprised of representatives from each participating water district. Powdersville Water’s current representative is Dyke Spencer.

2001 - 2010

Since acquiring a third water source in 2001, the District has completed several infrastructure improvements to the water system. In 2000 an 18-inch water main was constructed from the Greenville meter into the core of the system, in 2002 a 12-inch main was installed from Piercetown to the tank located near Highway 88 and in 2010 six miles of 10 and 12-inch transmission lines were completed. Two water tanks were added to the system: a ground storage tank near the Wren schools in 2003 and an elevated tank off Highway 153 in 2010.

2011

In 2011 Powdersville Water updated the hydraulic model and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System (SCADA), the computerized control system that allows for efficient and safe monitoring of the master meters and the storage tanks 24/7. This allowed Powdersville Water to establish three pressure zones to improve the water service to its customers.

Powdersville Water also voluntarily joined, as a charter member, the Partnership for Safe Drinking Water Distribution System Optimization (DSO) program in 2011. This program is sponsored by the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and is a voluntary continuous improvement program that uses optimization methods to improve water distribution systems. The program involves three system wide goals for (1) water quality measured by disinfectant residual monitoring, (2) hydraulic, whereby system pressure is continuously monitored in each pressure zone and (3) system integrity, whereby main break frequency is monitored and minimized. Powdersville Water’s goal in this program is to use empirical data to ensure that every customer receives safe drinking water at all times.

In 2011, Powdersville Water management and staff update the company Safety Manual and implemented a safety incentive program called Priority One.

2012

In 2012 Powdersville Water established the Water Efficiency and Auditing Program (WEAP). The goal of this program is to implement best industry practices to fulfill Powdersville Water’s mandate to act as a good steward of the water it purchases and then delivers to its customers and end-users. This program includes the AWWA water audit program and process, state-of-the-art leak detection methods, improved pressure management practices and AMI monitoring of retail meters.

2013

Powdersville Water continued its investment in the water system’s infrastructure in 2013 with the Crestview Main Extension project.
This new water main was an upgrade for an existing connection with ECU by connecting it to an existing 18-inch Powdersville Water water main. This project improved Powdersville Water’s service level in that it insured that adequate water pressure and fire flows would be maintained in the central part of Powdersville Water’s service area during peaks in customer water usage.

Powdersville Water also implemented new utility billing and financial software in 2013 to improve customer service levels, provide better internal reporting and analysis and improve billing and accounting efficiencies.

2014

In 2014 Powdersville Water continued to make progress with two ongoing projects (1) retrofitting all existing service lines with backflow preventers in an effort to exceed SCDHEC requirements; (2) retrofitting two-way fire hydrants with three-way connections to improve ISO fire ratings and fire-fighting capabilities of the area fire districts.

2015

In March 2015, Powdersville Water was recognized for achieving the Directors Award in the Partnership for Safe Water’s Distribution System Optimization Program. Powdersville Water was the first utility in South Carolina to receive this award and one of only eleven nationwide. Powdersville Water received the award for successfully completing a comprehensive self-assessment of distribution system operations, a significant achievement towards ensuring the delivery of safe, high-quality water to the community.

Powdersville Water celebrated a new milestone safety record in June 2015 of 2,200 days. This record is a reflection of Powdersville Water’s commitment to safety by all employees. Powdersville Water conducts safety meetings routinely and employees are recognized for safety-conscious behavior through the Priority One Safety Program developed in 2011.

2016

In 2016, Techtronic Industries (TTI) completed the construction of a new 1.3 million-square-foot distribution facility. The facility is located within the Powdersville Water service area and is located near I-85/S.C. Hwy. 81 interchange. Powdersville Water partnered with TTI and Anderson County in providing adequate water infrastructure for this project.

2017

Beginning in 2015, Powdersville Water (PW) began an extensive deployment of a new meter reading system called Advanced Metering Infrastructure or AMI. This project was completed and optimized in-house by PW staff in 2017, resulting in significant cost savings. This technological advancement has allowed PW to take a more proactive customer service approach.  The system can possibly identify a potential leak for a customer within twenty-four hours of the leak occurring.  Prior to this technology, the leak could possibly go unnoticed for 30 to 45 days.

In the summer of 2017, Powdersville Water (PW) teamed up with Anderson School District 1 maintenance staff to take proactive measures to test for lead and copper in all schools prior to students returning from the summer break. Proper flushing of stagnant plumbing pipes in the schools and monitoring was accomplished to insure that the water in each school met all drinking water standards before opening the schools. This will become a routine practice each year to ensure students and faculty receive water of the highest quality.

Powdersville Water completed a $1.5 million project to improve the water service and fire flows along the Highway 153 corridor. The project included the installation of 13,500 feet of 12-inch ductile iron water main from the elevated tank at Easley Bridge Road to Hood Road.  This project will provide ample water capacity for the rapid growth along this business corridor.

Powdersville Water also completed an $882,000 project that included the installation of 14,000 feet of 8-inch ductile iron pipe along the I-85 corridor in two locations. This project improves water service and fire flows along the I-85 corridor while providing improved fire flows to the River Road area south of I-85 by looping the new water mains with the existing water infrastructure.

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