Water Management Portal

Looking back to 1946, shortly after World War II, Florence's water system was quite different from what we see today. The accompanying graphic shows the extent of the groundwater system during this period. Many of these early components are still in use today, meaning some have aged considerably and, in some cases, have outlived their useful life. This historical perspective highlights both the growth of the system and the challenges of maintaining its aging infrastructure.

This map shows the city's current distribution system, with the red circle highlighting the area covered during 1946. Since then, the system has expanded significantly.

This expansion has been driven by both organic growth as the city has developed and by the addition of new groundwater plants to better serve newly developed areas. The City of Florence has also acquired several local systems, including the Quinby system in 1999, the Florence County system in 2002, and the drinking water system for Timmonsville in 2014. Private developments such as Oakdale, Pine Forest, and Glendale have also been integrated into the city’s system.

Many of these acquired systems were not originally designed to accommodate future expansion and often did not meet municipal standards, resulting in poor repair and the need for significant rehabilitation. For instance, before the city acquired the Oakdale system in 1985, the Oakdale subdivision relied on a single small well. If the well went out of service or a water main ruptured, the entire system lost pressure until the limited-staff water company could make repairs.

By taking over these systems and addressing these challenges, the city is committed to serving its citizens and upgrading the infrastructure to ensure reliable water service.

Florence is unique in that it uses both groundwater and surface water. Most systems will use one or the other for simplicity and to streamline costs. The transition to a dual-source system presents challenges in managing and distributing water, but it fosters a more sustainable approach to meeting the needs of residential, commercial, and industrial customers.

The Frank E. Willis Pee Dee River Regional Water Treatment Plant (SWTP) treats raw water from the Great Pee Dee River to produce safe and clean drinking water. A series of water treatment processes and water analysis is completed to accomplish this goal.

The treatment process includes adjusting the pH, settling solids, filtering the water, adding fluoride for dental health, and adding chlorine for disinfection. To ensure the plant is running correctly and meeting regulatory standards, the plant continuously monitors water quality parameters and operators conduct regular lab tests.

The plant continuously monitors water quality and conducts tests to ensure everything is working correctly. Certified operators and a state-certified lab oversee the process. South Carolina's Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) inspects the plant annually and tests water quality quarterly to ensure safety standards are being met.

The City of Florence maintains 14 groundwater treatment plants that collectively draw from 33 wells. The treatment process involves aerating the water, adding lime and chlorine, filtering out iron, and then adding fluoride to help prevent tooth decay. The treated water is stored in 14 elevated tanks, which are crucial for maintaining system pressure and providing fire protection.

To ensure the water remains safe and free from harmful bacteria and toxins, we conduct thorough testing. Each quarter, we sample 252 sites throughout the distribution system for Total Coliform and E. coli. All water operators are certified by the South Carolina Environmental Certification Board, ensuring adherence to rigorous standards.

The presence of iron in Florence's water is a natural result of the city's location over a large iron deposit, leading to increased costs and challenges in the treatment of groundwater. Although some iron may remain after filtration, it is not at harmful levels and tends to settle at the bottom of pipes. Water discoloration issues can arise when the system is disturbed by the introduction of new lines, home construction, or road work, which can stir up settled iron and mix it back into the water. These issues are often more noticeable in areas with dead-end lines and fewer customers, where water tends to age and accumulate more iron. Despite these color variations, the water meets all quality regulations and is safe to drink. The city is addressing this issue by removing dead-end lines and is working to gradually transition more of the system to surface water.

Due to the extreme weather events that occurred between 2015 and 2022, the City began developing a strategy to enhance the resiliency and reliability of the water system, focusing on both water quality and production capacity. These events encompassed hurricanes, microbursts, heavy thunderstorms, freezing conditions, and droughts. One notable example is Hurricane Matthew, which made landfall along the coast of South Carolina in October 2016 as a Category 1 hurricane. Although the wind damage was relatively minor, the substantial rainfall resulted in significant damage and erosion. Near the Country Club of South Carolina, the storm caused the rupture of an 8-inch water line, leading to a major loss of pressure throughout the system and resulting in widespread ripple effects. This incident was just one example of the extensive damage caused during that storm.

An example of the impact of freezing temperatures on the drinking water system can be seen from the extreme cold in early January 2018. During that period, temperatures remained below freezing for 48 to 72 hours, which had significant effects on the water system. Freezing conditions, especially in areas where the ground has a lot of water, exert tremendous pressure on the pipes, effectively doubling the stress and increasing the likelihood of pipe failures.

In 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act was passed, providing significant infrastructure funding opportunities for municipalities across the country. To capitalize on this, the City of Florence began developing a plan to secure some of this funding, focusing on improvements to its groundwater production facilities. The plan targeted several key plants: the GE plant, the Oakdale plant, the Pine Street plant, and the River Road plant. This initiative was part of the South Carolina Infrastructure Investment Program (SCIIP), administered by the Rural Infrastructure Authority. Through this application process, the City of Florence successfully secured $10 million in grant funding.

Another component of the application focused on adding new water lines, particularly in the western area of the system, which had numerous dead ends. Many of these dead ends were remnants of the old Florence County system that were not interconnected. By linking these lines, a circular flow pattern is created, which helps to prevent water quality issues, such as sediment accumulation.

Additionally, there is an extension planned for the eastern transmission line, designed to bring more surface water further into the system. This extension aims to improve the distribution and efficiency of the water supply across the eastern side of the city.