McCormick County Council approves one-year extension for Clearwater Solutions after extensive public criticism; animal ordinance deferred

McCormick County Council on Sept. 17 moved to delay a proposed five-year operating contract with Clearwater Solutions, approving instead a one-year extension while directing staff to return with finalized contract language and to initiate a request-for-proposals process.

The decision followed a lengthy presentation by Clearwater Solutions (CWS) and more than an hour of public comment in which residents described brown water, delayed water taps, withheld certificates of occupancy for new homes, safety concerns at manholes and lift stations, and dissatisfaction with the procurement process used to select a long-term operator.

A CWS representative told the council the company had brought McCormick County out of a DHEC consent order in January 2024 and installed telemetry on water towers and roughly half of the county's lift stations to speed detection and response. "We brought McCormick out of the consent order per DHEC January 2024, and we have been out ever since," the speaker said, noting work-order backlogs the firm cleared and a water model nearing calibration.

Residents pressed for more oversight and for independent technical review. "This is a travesty and must stop," said Robert Morris during public comment, who argued that equipment needed by first responders and other safety investments should not be bundled into a sales-tax referendum and that the contractor's long-term award should be reconsidered. Others urged the county to pursue federal and state grants and to require contractors to help secure grant funding.

County staff and the county administrator defended the RFQ-based procurement and said the county maintains ownership of all assets and control of the budget for the water and sewer department. The administrator said the county budget for water and sewer remains council-determined and argued the contract supplies scarce project-management expertise. "Taxpayer dollars do not operate the water and sewer. You all have a fee that you pay," the administrator said, urging that solutions be collaborative.

Council members debated the length and terms of any extension. Councilwoman Jackie Brown proposed changing the five-year contract to a one-year agreement, with the administrator returning a fully drafted contract for council review before Sept. 30 and with an RFP to follow. That amended motion, which required additional drafting and protections, carried on a council vote with at least one recorded 'no' vote.

Council also handled related procedural matters. Members discussed two pending ordinances (24-05, a capital project sales-tax matter, and 24-06, an animal-care ordinance). Legal counsel had advised that a prior newspaper failed to publish required notice for one item. The council voted to proceed with a public hearing on the capital project sales tax and to defer ordinance 24-06 (animal care and ownership) to the October meeting so the public and council can review and so the draft ordinance can be properly published.

Votes at a glance - Ordinance 24-06 (Animal care/ownership): Deferred to October for public hearing and third reading (motion carried). - Resolution 02-24 (Freedom of Information policy and fee schedule): Council approved the resolution and agreed to add language explicitly allowing fee waivers for matters in the public interest. - Resolution 03-24 (Fiscal-year resolution/millage specification): Approved with a minor amendment removing an inaccurate whereas clause and clarifying millage. - Activity-center fee schedule (Resolution 04-24): Adopted after staff explained benchmark comparisons to nearby entities. - Donation to McCormick/Edgefield Breast Cancer Awareness Walk: Council approved a $1,000 platinum-level contribution. - Clearwater Solutions contract: Council approved an amended motion to extend current operations via a one-year contract (subject to final contract language approval and to moving forward with an RFP). The chair recorded at least one dissenting vote.

What happens next Council directed county staff to prepare the one-year draft contract with the protections discussed at the meeting, circulate it to members, and hold a special meeting before Sept. 30 so council can review and vote on final language. Members also directed staff to publish the animal ordinance draft and proper public-notice materials before the October meeting and to begin a formal RFP process for long-term water-sewer services.

The meeting also produced a series of public requests for independent technical reviews of the water and sewer system, additional transparency around procurement scoring, and clearer communication with customers about service timelines and water-quality steps being taken. Council members said they would consider those requests as they review the draft contract and plan next steps.