CLEANING UP THE CONGAREE: Dominion Energy and elected officials celebrate completion of $20 million project

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — Anyone who lives in downtown Columbia is familiar with the Congaree River, but have you ever thought about what is under the water?

Monday morning, Dominion Energy marked the completion of a multiyear $20 million project to clean up downtown Columbia’s Congaree River. 

“Opening up the river and  the connectivity is something we’ve talked about for so long. This riverfront is really the catalyst for Columbia,” said Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann.

In 2010, a tar-like material was first discovered in the Congaree riverbed. The coal tar reportedly originates from a gas plant approximately a century earlier.

Starting in June of last year, crews were finally able to remove 35,000 tons of sediment from the river and completed the project a year ahead of schedule. 

“We were very blessed by having a low river level. Therefore you have less water intrusion, so there’s more work being done and we were able to finish a year ahead of schedule,” said Keller Kissam, Dominion Energy president.

Dominion Energy also worked with archaeologists to recover hundreds of historical artifacts, including many items dating back to the Civil War.

“We’ve got 120 pound cannonballs that were deep in that river. They were a monster to get out,” said archaeologist Sean Norris.

In addition to the sediment and the artifacts, the project also removed two and a half tons of debris from the water.

“We did take care of the coal tar but you also had other trash. The river unfortunately is a place where people come and dump things. That’s a big challenge for all the rivers in our state,” Kissam said. “South Carolina Department of Natural Resources writes more tickets to people for dumping debris in rivers than anything else.”

Now that the Congaree is cleaned up, Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann hopes to continue connecting the path along the riverwalk and make the area more accessible.

“Within the next decade, because we have to wait for Carolina Crossroads to finish, you will be able to put on your tennis shoes or hop on a bike and go to the dam and back,” Rickenmann said.

The governor agrees with Mayor Rickenmann that the future looks bright for Columbia. 

We’ve got all the ingredients to have one of  the greatest places in the country,” said Gov. Henry McMaster. “If we work together and use common sense, we can have a glorious city. We are right on our way in the Midlands.”