Date: Feb. 12, 2004
Contact Jenny Hagan
(843) 727-7146
Charleston Water System to hold Groundbreaking Ceremony for Sewer Tunnel Replacement Project
(February 12, 2004)—The Charleston Water System (Charleston Water System) will hold a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the beginning of construction on the second phase of the Sewer Tunnel Replacement Project—a $74 million capital project that involves replacing the aging sewer tunnel system in downtown Charleston and West Ashley.
The public ceremony will be held on Friday, February 27, 2004 at 2:30 p.m. at the Lockwood Drive-Broad Street construction site. Groundbreakers will include Congressman Henry E. Brown, Jr., Congressman James E. Clyburn, and Senator Lindsey O. Graham, who have worked to secure federal funding for this critical project, as well as Mayor Joseph P. Riley, Charleston Water System's Board of Commissioners, and Charleston Water System General Manager William E. Koopman, Jr.
The sewer tunnel system is an eight-mile tunnel located approximately 130 feet underground that collects all wastewater from the Charleston Peninsula and West Ashley and carries it to the Plum Island Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Charleston Water System initiated work to replace the tunnel in 1998 after the discovery of deterioration in the Harbor Tunnel section—the tunnel that stretches from the Peninsula, under the Harbor, to the Plum Island Wastewater Treatment Plant. Replacing the Harbor Tunnel was the first phase of this four-phased project, and was completed in 2002.
After discovery of deterioration in the section of tunnel along the West side of the Peninsula in February 2003, Charleston Water System accelerated replacement plans and immediately began design work on Phase II—the new Ashley Tunnel. The upcoming groundbreaking ceremony will mark the beginning of construction for Phase II.
Charleston Water System worked with engineers from Black & Veatch Corp.; Hussey, Gay, Bell & DeYoung, Inc.; Khafra Engineering; and the US Army Corps of Engineers to design the tunnel. Affholder, Inc., a contractor from Chesterfield, Missouri, was awarded a $26.45 million construction contract in February after a competitive bid process.
In August, Charleston City Council approved a $128 million bond issue to fund construction of the Ashley Sewer Tunnel, design and construction of the Cooper Sewer Tunnel, and design of the West Ashley Sewer Tunnel (the bond issue also includes funds for homeland security improvements and refunding of existing debt). As a result of the combined efforts of Congressman Henry Brown, Congressman James Clyburn, Senator Ernest Hollings, and Senator Lindsey Graham, Charleston Water System will receive $6.4 million in federal funding for the tunnel project, and will continue to pursue additional funding in the future.
“We are thankful for the tremendous support we have received from the City, community members, and our congressional delegation,” said Charleston Water System General Manager William Koopman, “it is because of their support that we were able to move quickly on this project and in ten months design a tunnel that will serve the needs of Charleston for the next 100 years.”
