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Residents say Effingham water is rusty and unsafe; council says system sale limits county authority
Summary
Multiple Effingham-area residents told Florence County Council their water is rusty, low-pressure, and in at least one case they said a person was hospitalized after ingesting contaminants. Council members said the county lacks direct control because the water system was sold to the City of Florence and pledged to press the city and pursue intergovernmental discussions.
Residents from the Effingham and metropolitan area testified at the council meeting about persistent water problems. James Williams said residents were “drinking rusty, dirty, nasty water” and reported at least one hospitalization he attributed to contaminants in the supply. “We are serious... we want you guys to consider our situation, our plight, and do something to help the people of Effingham,” Williams told the council.
Council members acknowledged the complaints and explained jurisdictional limits. One councilor recounted that the county previously sold its water rights to the City of Florence and that many county residents now receive water billed by the city, limiting direct county authority over treatment and infrastructure. The chair said county leadership and the county administrator attend city council meetings to press for action and that the city–county committee will prioritize the issue with the city's new mayor.
Multiple residents also raised related infrastructure concerns — low pressure, failing wells, drainage and road issues — and asked about grant and capital funding options. Council members pointed to past filings with DHEC, prior engineering reviews, and the capital project sales tax investments as tools used or available to address infrastructure problems. Council did not adopt an immediate remedial action at the meeting but directed staff to continue intergovernmental engagement and to discuss the issue at the next city–county committee meeting.
Quote attribution: where quotes are used they come from speakers on the record during the public-comment period.
