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Saluda County Water and Sewer Authority - Forging strategic partnerships for a more sustainable future - CoBank Site
Forging strategic partnerships for a more sustainable future
Saluda County Water and Sewer Authority in South Carolina is in the midst of a significant multiphase upgrade to its water and wastewater treatment plants. By forging strategic partnerships with neighboring facilities and other industry partners, SCWSA will ensure its residents have access to safe and clean water, while also reducing its environmental footprint.
SCWSA was established 30 years ago and serves the unincorporated areas of Saluda County, located about 50 miles west of the state capital, Columbia, and is home to nearly 20,000 people. The system serves both residential and commercial customers—including three major agricultural companies: Amick Farms, Best Dressed Chicken and Pet Food Solutions. These businesses depend on the system to maintain high standards of water quality for their production processes.
CoBank, greatly eased the financial impact during construction.
Recently, SCWSA recognized the need to update its system by building its own wastewater treatment plant. The current process involves collecting sewage and transporting 1.4 million gallons of daily wastewater through a pipeline to a treatment facility in another county 50 miles away—which is now close to capacity.
“We realized there was a better way to manage our treatment process within our own community, and although it was a significant undertaking, we owed it to our customers to find a better solution,” said Jason Fell, general manager of SCWSA. “And our financial partner, CoBank, greatly eased the financial impact during construction.”
CoBank has provided interim construction loans to facilitate SCWSA’s three most recent projects—including a new $43 million wastewater treatment plant.
“Because we’re a smaller rural system, other lenders wouldn’t offer us the same kind of flexibility we received from CoBank,” Fell said. “I also appreciate the cohesive nature of our relationship. Some of our customers are also their customers—the large agricultural production plants, which will directly benefit from the new treatment project, are also members of the bank. It really feels like we’re making an impact together in the community.”
With financing secured, SCWSA swiftly initiated a sewer agreement with the towns of Saluda and Ridge Spring. SCWSA also partnered with three separate wastewater utilities to facilitate a single, more efficient treatment plant—set to be fully operational by spring 2026.
“We could not be more excited to complete this project. It will significantly enhance the surface water quality, optimize our daily operations and strengthen our sustainability eff orts,” Fell said.
In addition to its new wastewater plant, SCWSA is actively involved with workforce development, participating in career fairs with local schools, providing insight about the importance of the industry and offering job and training opportunities. “Partnership is what makes us stronger. CoBank values partnership and rural America, and you can’t put a price on that,” Fell said.
