• E-Mail
• Print
• Larger
• Smaller

Published: Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009 / Updated: Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009 07:22 PM

Few options for Foxwood water fix

FORT MILL -- 

The brown water pouring from faucets in the Foxwood community may not run clear anytime soon.

The neighborhood of 250 homes is facing an uphill battle as it continues to request better quality water from their provider, Utility Services of South Carolina. The water in the community is discolored, has a bad odor and corrodes faucets and fixtures, residents told officials at a recent community meeting. Chantay Bouler, who has lived in the community for 22 years, said she has to use a pay laundry to wash her clothes because the water in the neighborhood causes clothes to become stiff and discolored.

“I can attest to everything that everyone has said,” Bouler said. “The color of the water, the taste of it, and as the years go by, I have added expenses. I bought [bottled] water and I still buy water to this day. So I incur an expense for something I'm already paying for, and I don't like that.”

Options for the neighborhood are limited. York County Water and Sewer official David Hughes said the county could extend a water line to the community, but that Utility Services would have to approve the connection.

He declined to say how much the extension would cost.

In some cases, Hughes said, utility companies can be required by DHEC to hook up with another water supply. But in this case it's unlikely, he added, because Utility Services is not technically out of compliance with DHEC standards. DHEC spokesman Adam Myrick agreed, saying that Utility Services is not required to hook into another water source and abandon its current well water source.

The Town of Fort Mill's engineer, Paul Mitchell, said the neighborhood could receive water from the town, but that would require annexation into town limits.

“We would only consider going in if they were annexed,” Mitchell said.

Annexation would require either a petition including signatures from 75 percent of the property holders in the neighborhood approving annexation or a petition with 25 percent of the registered voters in the neighborhood requesting a vote for annexation. More than 50 percent of the voters would have to vote in favor of annexation for it to be approved.

There are two water issues in the neighborhood: contaminants found in the neighborhood's water supply and the frequent complaints about the discoloration, bad odor and chemical taste of the water. The two concerns are unrelated, DHEC officials said, because the contaminants found in the water are odorless, colorless and tasteless. Efforts are being made to reduce the contaminants in the water, which is supplied by two wells owned by Wikoff Color Corporation but operated by Utility Services of South Carolina.

Bruce Haas, a representative with Utility Services of South Carolina, did not immediately return calls for comment.

Even if the neighborhood did hook into the county water system, old pipes connecting to each home could still cause problems with the water. DHEC officials at the Nov. 2 community meeting said the discolored water, foul odor and corrosive nature of the water could come from by corrosion in the water lines, build-up in the pipes, or an abundance of iron or manganese in the water.

“There is something wrong with the total distribution system and that has to be addressed, so I would hope that we could work with going to York County's system but at the same time get them to address the distribution system,” Bouler said.

York County Water and Sewer has strong enough water pressure to “blow out” the water lines if they were given the opportunity to service the neighborhood, Hughes said. But that doesn't mean that problems with the old pipes would be solved.

“It's certainly not a guarantee,” he added. “Our role now I think is really just to watch and wait and see what comes next and what they'll do next. They are served by Utilities Incorporated, so they are really holding the cards right now.”

DHEC officials are putting together a committee of residents from Foxwood. Together with a representative from Utility Services, the group plans to discuss possibilities for improving the water in the subdivision and the feasibility of changing to an alternate water source.

Plans for the group are still in preliminary stages, Myrick said, and no date has been set for the group to meet.