Flooding has caused issues in Conway. A wastewater project to help just got a boost
When Hurricane Florence in 2018 brought massive flooding into Horry County, the wastewater treatment plant in Conway was unable to keep up with the conditions, shutting down and likely dumping millions of gallons of untreated wastewater into the Waccamaw River.
But an ongoing city project, which just received an influx of state funding, is aimed at preventing that from happening again in the fast-growing community.
The South Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority awarded the city $1 million toward its wastewater infrastructure improvement projects, according to a city news release.
This comes after Conway had already secured a $6 million grant for these projects from the U.S. Economic Development Administration. The total costs are expected to reach $9 million, according to city officials.
The first part of project involves Crabtree Pump Station, near Mill Pond Road in the Crabtree Swamp area, which handles the wastewater of one-third of Conway’s population in addition to Loris, Aynor and parts of North Myrtle Beach. The plan is to increase the size of the lift station while running a parallel line to increase its capacity and prevent future issues during peak rain events.
The second part of the project will involve the construction of a new life station near Church Street in the Park Hill area that will accept wastewater flow from a portion of Highway 501 currently served by the Crabtree station.
Conway city staff are currently working on necessary easements and planning requirements before finding a qualified firm to complete the project, which is expected to be finished by August 2024.
