Powdersville Water invests millions to ensure reliable,
high-quality service for the fast-growing corner of Anderson County
Powdersville Water is all about “smart growth” in its service area, Executive Director Dyke Spencer says, and the system is constantly adding capacity to provide the reliable, high-quality service customers rely on.
“Even with a pandemic, our staff has just completed the busiest 18 months in the 50 year history of the company,” he said.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Powdersville community and its surrounding area have seen dramatic growth over the past 20 years, three times faster than the rest of Anderson and Pickens counties.
To keep pace and prepare for the future, Powdersville Water has spent over $25 million to increase capacity and build infrastructure to support a service area that has grown to include a population of more than 35,000. Private developers have added another $15 million in infrastructure in that time, Spencer said.
Just recently, the district completed a $4.5 million 16” and 24” water transmission main project and another $5.6 million project is beginning this summer to build two miles of 20” main along 3 Bridges Road and another two miles of 12” main along Von Hollen Drive and Cely Road.
“Our Board of Directors clearly sees the value in planning for the future and building just-in-time water improvements so that economic development can continue at a steady pace without holding up developers,” Spencer said.
For many years, the district has used computer modeling of the system’s hydraulics to determine future needs for additional distribution and storage to keep up with the rapid development in our service area,” Spencer said.
Over the past couple of decades, the water company has grown from a small rural water system to a mid-size water utility, Spencer said. Sometimes, that type of growth can be challenging.
Continually placing additional demands on a water system requires constant improvements, which often means new policies must be developed to ensure that service remains adequate and reliable.
“We have an obligation to our existing customer base. As we add new taps to the system, we must always be sure that we are not degrading the level of service to customers already on the system,” Spencer said. “This is a constant balancing act in play every time we add a significant water user to the system. That is basically our pledge to all our customers -- growth must not jeopardize quality.”