Reliable water and wastewater service is the foundation of our economy and quality of life. Maintaining that foundation and ensuring that it can support our future needs requires careful planning and a committment to investing in our infrastructure.

To that end, Charleston Water System's Capital Improvement Program includes 45 water and sewers projects necessary to make sure we can accomodate growth, meet regulatory requirements, and continue to provide quality water and wastewater service.

Capital improvement projects, such as replacing the century-old water main serving the King Street area in downtown Charleston, help support the economy, protect public health, and prepare for future demands on the system.

About the Capital Improvement Program (CIP)

To develop the CIP, Charleston Water completed a 20-year master plan for each of the utility's four operational departments: the water distribution system, the wastewater collection system, the Hanahan Water Treatment Plant, and the Plum Island Wastewater Treatment Plant. Our engineers then prioritized the projects into several phases, and the first phase of projects makes up the 2006 CIP.

The CIP includes 45 projects totaling $155.5 million. Seventy percent of that total will fund new infrastructure needed to accomodate demands from population growth and meet regulatory requirements. The remaining 30% of will pay for rehabilitation and replacement of aging infrastructure.

Funding the CIP
To fund the CIP, Charleston Water issued revenue bonds and approved a three-year series of water and sewer rate increases to repay the debt.

For more information:
View the projects included in the 2006 Capital Improvement Program (PDF)
Read press release

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do water and sewer rates keep going up?
The rate increase were necessary to fund needed capital improvement projects and increased operation and maintenance costs. Charleston Water does not receive tax revenue; all operations are funded by rates and fees charged for water and wastewater service. As a result, Charleston Water must borrow money to fund costly capital improvements needed to meet growth demands, maintain compliance with new regulatory requirements, and replace aging infrastructure.

What kind of capital improvement projects do rate increases pay for?
The rate increases are funding Charleston Water’s 2006 Capital Improvement Program, which includes 45 projects ranging from new elevated water storage tanks to upgraded equipment at the water and wastewater treatment plants and new water and wastewater mains.

These projects were identified during extensive master planning conducted for each of the treatment plants and the water distribution and wastewater collection systems. The master plans identified Charleston Water’s needs over the next twenty years and divided those needs into phases by level of priority. The 2006 Capital Improvement Program is the first phase of these improvements. All of the projects are necessary to meet increased demands from population growth, rehabilitate or replace aging infrastructure, and maintain compliance with new regulations.

The total estimated cost of these projects is $155.5 million. To fund these projects, Charleston Water System must borrow money by issuing revenue bonds, and must raise water and sewer rates in order to repay the debt.

For more information, call (843) 727-6856 or click here to send us an e-mail.