Water is our most precious resource, and the responsibility to deliver it safely and reliably is one we take seriously at Kiawah Island Utility and all our other systems in the state through South Carolina Water Utilities. As the director of operations of the many systems we operate in the Lowcountry, I want to speak directly to our customers about the reason behind — and the many benefits of — the consolidation of our regional operations.
S.C. Water Utilities is the largest private water and wastewater provider in the state. Our reach is not just about size; it includes customer service and operations. Kiawah Island Utility serves almost 7,000 customers in the Lowcountry alone, in communities such as Pleasant Point Plantation, Harbor Island, Chechessee Bluff, Callawassie, Spring Island and Kiawah Island.
Our broad footprint means we have the personnel, equipment and technical expertise to provide premier water and wastewater services. We’ve also been able to make significant infrastructure upgrades, such as entire plant rebuilds at Harbor Island and Pleasant Point, and major wastewater process repairs at Callawassie Island and Kiawah Island. Also, Spring Island and Callawassie Island customers will soon see the installation of advanced metering infrastructure, with Harbor Island following in the near future. Those upgrades will help customers better manage their usage and are essential for maintaining service quality and meeting environmental standards.
Consolidation reduces the number of separate utilities we manage, which reduces administrative costs and related regulatory filings — generating savings that go directly back to our customers.
A unified utility in the Lowcountry will give us greater flexibility to respond to challenges and be more strategic in how and where we invest in infrastructure, ensuring that all our systems remain modern, compliant and dependable.