By Kendra Wilkerson, Program Policy & Development Manager, SC Rural Infrastructure Authority
This time last year, the South Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority announced it had awarded more than $1.4 billion in grant funding to communities across all 46 counties of the state through the South Carolina Infrastructure Investment Program. This one-time initiative is assisting with improvements for clean drinking water, sanitary sewer and stormwater resilience using federal funds allocated through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
These project examples highlight the positive outcomes SCIIP grants are working towards in cities and towns across South Carolina.
City of Orangeburg
The City of Orangeburg’s collaborative work with the Bull Swamp Rural Water Company exemplifies a key SCIIP objective to encourage greater sustainability through regional partnerships.
Facing serious staffing challenges that are common among small, rural utilities, the BSRWC turned to the neighboring City of Orangeburg’s Department of Public Utilities for operational assistance. SCIIP grant funding for infrastructure upgrades and the construction of an interconnection has allowed the Orangeburg Department of Public Utilities to take ownership of the Bull Swamp system and avoid placing financial strain on existing customers.
The City of Pickens used a SCIIP grant to replace water mains. Photo: SC Rural Infrastructure Authority.
City of Pickens
The City of Pickens received a SCIIP grant to address aging infrastructure and increase its capacity for future growth.
The project involves extensive replacement of outdated water mains with ductile iron pipe, along with the installation of fire hydrants, benefiting more than 200 customers in growing parts of the city’s service area. Currently, the project is on budget and progressing rapidly, with completion expected this summer.
Town of Batesburg-Leesville
The Town of Batesburg-Leesville is using SCIIP funds to build a new water main and booster pump station that connects to Lexington County’s Joint Municipal Water and Sewer Commission.
The collaboration, designed to provide a new and more reliable source of water for the town, addresses a consent order issued by the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control.
Construction kicked off in early 2024 and is expected to continue for approximately two years. The project is under budget and on track for timely completion.
Latest updates
For SCIIP grant recipients to meet the tight federal deadlines, RIA established milestones to keep projects on track. All 219 recipients have met initial award conditions and received RIA’s notice to proceed, with over one-quarter of the grants already under contract as of March 2024.
Grantees yet to advertise for bids should be finalizing plans and specifications as soon as possible to advertise no later than July 2024. All projects should be under contract by the fall to ensure construction completion by April 2026 and projects must be closed out by June 2026.
RIA closely monitors guidance from the U.S. Department of the Treasury and provides updates to SCIIP guidelines and procedures as needed. The following are the latest updates:
- The Department of the Treasury has proposed a rule that may impact RIA’s ability to move funds from one SCIIP project to another after December 2024. RIA is considering options for ensuring that all SCIIP funds can be spent for their intended purpose and will keep grantees informed as new information becomes available.
- RIA developed a new Project Workforce Reporting Form for the three recipients of SCIIP grants over $10 million. RIA is also required to report similar information for grants equal to $10 million, but no additional information is needed from these grantees at this time.
This one-time funding program is making a significant impact in every county in South Carolina. RIA also continues to provide state-funded grants for water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure and utility planning.