Wastewater discharge proposed for Spears Creek

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COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — Richland County wants your opinion about a proposal that would allow the discharge of six million gallons of treated wastewater into Spears Creek each day. Palmetto Utilities, a Houston, Texas-based company, has requested the permit. Spears Creek starts in the northeast corner of Richland County, and meanders through Kershaw County. Richland County Councilwoman Julie-Ann Dixon has asked groups, like the Sierra Club of South Carolina, to help outline potential impacts. Conservation chair Andrew Yasinsac says adding six million gallons to a stream with a flow of only 2.3 million gallons will overwhelm the creek. “There are much better environmental alternatives that are available and the company has acknowledged,” he says. Yasinac is referring to an existing permit Palmetto Utilities has to discharge the same amount of wastewater into the Wateree River, which has a flow rate of 200 million gallons, but that’s 13 miles away. Spears Creek is less than a mile away. “So obviously it’s much less expensive to build a pipeline to discharge into Spears Creek in Richland County,” he says. In a statement to ABC Columbia, Palmetto Utilities writes, “The additional cost to run a pipeline to the Wateree River would result in an unnecessary rate increase to our customers of approximately $100 per year.” The company is trying to avoid upping rates to its more than 15-thousand customers in the area Palmetto Utilities already applied to discharge into the creek near its plant in Kershaw County. It withdrew its application before council took a vote on the issue. Kershaw County Council Chairman Julian Burns says moving upstream is not a viable option for anyone. “It’s a partial solution where they will turn an environmentally precious asset in Kershaw County into a sewer pipe.” Burns says he’s not here to point fingers. “We are seeking a regional approach to a growth of population, both in Richland and Kershaw counties.” Which he says, requires coming up with a sound, long-term solution that will require all parties to come to the table. If you have questions, or want to share your opinion about this, Councilwoman Dixon is hosting a town hall Thursday at 6 p.m. The meeting will be at the North Springs Community Center. That’s at 1320 Clemson Rd. in Columbia.