Economic Development

Three (3) of the five (5) municipalities in Bamberg County currently provide public wastewater service. These include the Bamberg Board of Public Works (BBPW), the City of Denmark, and the Town of Ehrhardt. Forty-two percent (42%) of the total population of Bamberg County, which totals approximately 6,672 people according to the Census performed in 2000, resides in the City of Bamberg or the City of Denmark. Separated by approximately six (6) miles, the City of Bamberg and the City of Denmark are both located in the northern portion of Bamberg County. The Town of Ehrhardt is located in the southeastern corner of Bamberg County, approximately fourteen (14) miles southeast of the City of Bamberg along U.S. Highway 601. The Town of Govan and the Town of Olar, have thus far not constructed public wastewater systems in their Towns. The Town of Govan, the Town of Olar, and a vast majority of the unincorporated regions of Bamberg County utilize septic tanks or other private treatment systems.

The BBPW wastewater system is located mainly inside the city limits of the City of Bamberg, South Carolina. Some wastewater service is provided along Log Branch Road and Calhoun Street beyond the city limits to their intersection with U.S. Highway 301. According to records obtained from the BBPW, a population of approximately 3,640 is provided wastewater service through approximately 1,465 active wastewater service connections. According to the Census conducted in 2000, the City of Bamberg had a population of approximately 3,733. Accordingly, it is reasonable to believe that the BBPW supplies approximately ninety-seven percent (97%) of the City of Bamberg’s residents with wastewater service.

The BBPW operates and maintains approximately thirty (30) miles of gravity wastewater collection lines ranging in size from four (4) inches to twenty-four (24) inches. The wastewater collection system also consists of eleven (11) pumping stations and approximately five (5) miles of associated force main. The BBPW provides wastewater service to most of the in-town residents and businesses and some areas within close proximity to the Bamberg city limits. This service area is depicted in Exhibit O. Maps of the wastewater system are presented in Appendix O.

The BBPW owns and operates a Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) on an approximately twenty-two (22) acre site located southeast of the City of Bamberg. The BBPW also operates approximately 140 acres of effluent land application fields adjacent to or near the WWTP, for the irrigation of treated wastewater effluent. Additionally, the BBPW owns, but does not operate, an older WWTP on an approximately nine (9) acre site located near the intersection of South Carlisle Street and Spring Branch Road. This facility is not currently in active use. The locations of the WWTP, older WWTP, and the associated land application fields are depicted in Exhibit P. The Manager of the BBPW indicated that a PER has been prepared and that a wasteload allocation to Lemon Creek has been issued for reactivating the older WWTP. It was later noted that the concept of reactivating the older WWTP was no longer under active consideration. Additionally, a wasteload allocation to the South Fork of the Edisto River for a future effluent discharge from the active WWTP has also been issued. The active WWTP’s treatment process consists of pretreatment, screening, grit removal, and comminution prior to treatment within the aerated lagoon system. The industrial wastestream from Rockland Industries is conveyed via separate a pumping station and associated wastewater force main to the Industrial Pretreatment Facility on the site of the WWTP. After pretreatment, the wastestream from Rockland Industries converges with the domestic wastestream from the collection system. The combined wastestream is then conveyed to the influent pumping station and then afterwards through a pretreatment chamber prior to entering the aeration basins. The influent wastestream passes though a series of four (4) aeration basins which effectively operate as a dual power level multi-cellular aerated lagoon. Before entering the effluent storage basin, the effluent from the aeration basins undergoes disinfection in the chlorine contact chambers.

One of the basins at the WWTP is currently being used for sludge storage. Effluent irrigation pumps apply the treated wastewater to approximately 140 acres of land application fields maintained by the BBPW. The SCDHEC regulates the rate of application per month, per week, and in some cases per day based on the soil conditions, and this regulation is indicated on the No Discharge (ND) Permit. The WWTP and associated land application fields have a current capacity to receive 1.055 MGD. Additionally, the WWTP includes a second chlorine contact chamber and second effluent pumping station that are currently not in operation but have been constructed for the next expansion with the expectation of a future discharge to the South Fork of the Edisto River. This second chlorine contact chamber and second effluent pumping station have a capacity of approximately 4.0 and 2.0 MGD, respectively. Depictions of the wastewater process for the existing WWTP can be found in Exhibit Q, and an aerial photograph of the existing WWTP is depicted in Exhibit R. An additional photographical presentation of the existing wastewater infrastructure can be found in Appendix G. A copy of the No Discharge (ND) Permit can be found in Appendix H.

The five (5) largest wastewater customers and their average flow rates were obtained from the BBPW and are based on total annual usage data. The five (5) largest customers are tabulated in Table 3.1.3-1.

Table 3.1.3-1 BBPW - Five Largest Wastewater Customers

Additionally, Discharge Monitoring Reports (DMRs) were obtained from the SCDHEC, for the period of January 2005 through August 2007, and they have been tabulated and summarized to characterize flow, five (5) day Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), and Total Suspended Soils (TSS). Over this time period, the average monthly wastewater flows at the WWTP was approximately 502,000 gallons per day, and the monthly peak flow averaged approximately 628,000 gallons per day. Table 3.1.3-2 is a summarized version of the DMR’s which can be found in Appendix P.

Table 3.1.3-2 BBPW - Influent Wastewater Characteristics

Additionally, the effluent wastewater characteristics from the BBPW’s WWTP include BOD, pH, TSS, and Fecal Coliform and that data is tabulated in Table 3.1.3-3. The wastewater effluent is applied to approximately 140 acres of associated land application fields adjacent to or near the WWTP.

Table 3.1.3-3 BBPW - Effluent Wastewater Characteristics

It should be noted that the rate of land application varies based on the influent flows to the WWTP and the available storage volume in the effluent storage basins. This allows the BBPW to provide for a more consistent rate of effluent land application. That being the case, it is not uncommon for the daily land application volumes to be similar to that of the daily flows. Additionally, it should be noted that the BBPW has surplus capacity for treatment of wastewater which would support the extension of service within surrounding areas. The current ND permit (ND Permit No. 0063398) allows the BBPW to operate its WWTP, and it provides for limitations on the characteristics of the wastewater effluent. This permit is found in Appendix H, and the effluent limits are summarized in Table 3.1.3-4.

Table 3.1.3-4 BBPW WWTP - Permitted Wastewater Effluent Limits

The BBPW consistently meets the requirements set forth in their ND Permit.

The BBPW has had at least one (1) planning study completed regarding upgrading the existing WWTP to a 4.0 MGD capacity for future discharges to the South Fork of the Edisto River. The planning study proposed an upgrade to the influent pumping station from 2.0 MGD to 4.0 MGD. The WWTP’s current headworks (screening and grit chambers) unit has a capacity of 2.0 MGD and would be paralleled with a new headworks unit with a capacity of approximately 2.0 MGD. A series of mechanically aerated concrete basins had been previously planned to be constructed to accommodate wastewater flows up to 4.0 MGD. The existing chlorine contact chambers appear to be sufficiently suited for a capacity of 4.0 MGD. The effluent pumping station would have to be upgraded to 4.0 MGD from 2.0 MGD. Additionally, an expanded WWTP would also have to include sludge digestion and dewatering facilities. It should be noted that it may now be possible to upgrade the existing aeration basin to a 4.0 MGD capacity with the Biolac System. The Biolac technology was not available when this pervious planning study was performed. As of this date, no future plans are currently known to expand the wastewater collection system. There are no known active PER’s submitted to the SCDHEC for the BBPW’s wastewater system including the expansion the WWTP to 4.0 MGD. Photographs of the existing WWTP are presented in Appendix G.

The BBPW has developed a rate and fee schedule based on wastewater flows, customer type, and location in-town or out-of-town. If they are also provide water service by the BBPW, residential customers pay a base monthly service fee of $10.00 and $16.00 for in-town and out-of-town customers, respectively. If a residential customer is provided wastewater service and is not currently provided water service by the BBPW, then that customer will pay a monthly service fee of $29.40 as an in-town customer. Additionally, residential customers pay $3.88 per 1,000 gallons and $5.40 per 1,000 gallons of commercial wastewater generated for in-town and out-of-town customers, respectively. Commercial customers are charged a monthly service fee ranging from $10.00 to $11.00 for in-town customers and $16.00 for out-of-town customers. Commercial customers are charged between $3.88 per 1,000 gallons and $4.27 per 1,000 gallons of wastewater generated for in-town rates and $5.40 per 1,000 gallons of wastewater generated for out-of-town rates. Industrial customers pay between $150.00 and $350.00 for their monthly service fee based on location with respect to town limits and anticipated wastewater flows. The in-town rate of $5.04 per 1,000 gallons and between $5.40 per 1,000 gallons to $9.18 per 1,000 gallons of wastewater flow is charged for in-town and out-of-town industrial customers, respectively. The largest industrial customer, Rockland Industries, pays a base service fee of $3,500.00 and an additional $5.04 per 1,000 gallons of wastewater generated. A complete rate and fee schedule can be found in Appendix I, and a summarized version can be found in Table 3.1.5-1.

Table 3.1.5-1
Bamberg Board of Public Works - Wastewater Rate and Fee Schedule

Under the assumption that the average residential customer generates 5,500 gallons of wastewater flows per month, a residential customer located within the City of Bamberg would have monthly charges of $31.34. A residential customer located outside of the City of Bamberg would have monthly charges of $45.70.

The BBPW has an Audited Financial Statement completed at the end of each fiscal year for it wastewater system. The BBPW has a similar audit conducted for all other public services offered to its customers, but the BBPW has the financial statement presented in a disaggregated format so that each utility can be assessed on an individual basis. A summarized version of the Audited Financial Statement for the wastewater system can be found in Table 3.1.6-1, and the complete Audited Financial Statement can be found in Appendix F.

Table 3.1.6-1
Bamberg Board of Public Works - Wastewater Financial Statement