First phase of new Williamsburg County water project underway

Those attending the brief ceremony commemorating the start of the Kingstree East water project were, front left, Sen. Yancey McGill, Williamsburg County Councilmen, Andy McKnight, Franklin Fulmore, W.B. Wilson, County Supervisor Stanley S. Pasley; back, Lawrence McMahan, of McMahan Brothers Pipeline Inc.; Tyrone Williams and Kent Evans, USDA Rural Development; Harry Askins, Eastern Engineering; and Jack Whiteside, Director of Williamsburg County Water and Sewer.

By: John Sweeney | SCNOW
Published: February 09, 2010

KINGSTREE—Nearly 250 residents east of Kingstree will be tapping into county water lines by the end of year thanks in part to more federal stimulus monies acquired through the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development.

Phase one of the Kingstree East water system got underway recently and is scheduled to finish within the next seven to ten months, according to Williamsburg County and project officials. During that time, crews will lay 25-30 miles of pipe from Graham Road to White Oak Road in the area east of SC 52, accommodating roughly 250 residents. The second and final phase of the east program will gear up sometime following the completion of phase one.

The system, which county representatives say has been a long time coming, is just the start of a number of projects that have been 10-15 years in waiting.

“Folks have really been wanting for this for a while,” Franklin Fulmore, councilman from Williamsburg County’s District 7, said. Both phases will affect Fulmore’s district, along with Councilmen Andy McKnight, D-5, and W.B. Wilson, D-2

Fulmore, along with other county officials and Sen. Yancey McGill, D-32, thanked Tyrone Williams and Kent Evans from the USDA Rural Development for their work to help make these project’s possible.

“We would like to thank Mr. Evans, along with the USDA for what they have done and what they are doing,” Fulmore said. “This project was not moving, to be honest with you, until (Evans) started pushing it. So, I would certainly like to thank him.”

Officials said that the project is the result of stimulus money acquired through the efforts of the USDA and Williamsburg County government.

Those attending the ceremony included Sen. McGill, County Councilmen Franklin Fulmore, Andy McKnight, W.B. Wilson and Supervisor Stanley S. Pasley. Other officials in attendance were representatives from the United States Department of Agriculture rural development Tyrone Williams and Kent Evans. Lawrence McMahan, of McMahan Brothers Pipeline Inc.; Jack Whiteside, director of Williamsburg County Water and Sewer; and Harry Askins of Eastern Engineering.