Lexington, SC 02/18/2022 (Paul Kirby) – After long-term negotiations between The Town of Batesburg-Leesville and the Joint Municipal Water & Sewer Commission (JMWSC) finally came to a close recently, both parties signed a long-term agreement that secures safe, reliable drinking water to customers in the western Lexington County town for decades to come. The agreement will not only enable the Town of Batesburg-Leesville to connect to JMWSC’s water system, but this will also improve the entire area’s infrastructure to support economic development in the years to come.
The Commissioners of Joint Municipal Water and Sewer Commission met on Wednesday, February 9th followed by the Batesburg-Leesville Town Council on Monday, February 14th. At each meeting, both entities’ leaders voted to approve a 40-year contract.
Following the Batesburg-Leesville Town Council meeting, Mayor Lancer Shull stated “This alliance provides a bright path for Batesburg-Leesville and all who live, work, and play here. Our future is bright.” JMWSC Chairman Steve MacDougall stated, “This is a great example of how our commissioners and staff take pride in our ability to expand services and develop partnerships to improve quality of life in Lexington County.”
The Town of Batesburg-Leesville has been under a South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control Consent Order to address capacity concerns since 2013. This project, which has been a part of their long-range goals, will satisfy the Town’s Corrective Action Plan by providing a sustainable, affordable, high quality water supply for years to come.
For the past 9 years, Batesburg Leesville has been evaluating, studying, and trying to determine the best long-term action to take. They also evaluated connecting to Saluda County's system. JMWSC General Manager, Jay Nicholson states “We’re thankful to be in a position to partner with the Town. We’re looking forward to sharing in our mission of providing exceptional service to communities through responsible stewardship of resources.”
The plan calls for approximately $25-30M in total investments in new water infrastructure to be constructed along ten miles of US Hwy 1 (Augusta Highway) in western Lexington County between JMWSC’s current distribution system and Batesburg-Leesville’s current water system. Batesburg-Leesville Town Manager, Ted Luckadoo, said, “legacy project is the best way to describe a project of this size and scope. This project is about the future and will provide quality water at sustainable rates for many years to come.”
This project includes a new transmission main, pumps and elevated storage that will be sized to accommodate the town’s current needs as well as additional capacity to meet the anticipated growth and potential economic development of this rapidly growing area of the County. County Councilman for this district, Larry Brigham weighed in “It’s a great day for the future of Batesburg-Leesville. A long time in the making for the water connection partnership with JMWSC.”
