Founded in 1994, the Lake Marion Regional Water Agency (LMRWA) is composed of Dorchester, Calhoun, Berkeley and Orangeburg Counties and the Town of Santee. Each of these counties has water deserts where large quantities of safe drinking water is unavailable. The LMWRA working in partnership with Santee Cooper, and the Army Corps of Engineers has constructed over forty-five (45) miles of water transmission lines to provide clean drinking water, enhanced fire suppression and economic growth to the desert areas. 

Dorchester Reach

The most recently constructed water line is the Dorchester Reach. The Dorchester Reach runs 10.7 miles from the Town of Harleyville to the Ridgeville Industrial Park. The route of the water transmission main follows US Highway 178 to US Highway 78, then follows US Highway 78 to a 750,000-gallon elevated storage tank at the Ridgeville Industrial Park.

Improved Fire Protection

With the construction, fire hydrants have been located every 1,000 feet along its route from the Town of Harleyville to the Greater Ridgeville area. With the availability of these fire hydrants, the County and its residents can see a reduction in the cost of fire insurance due to an improved ISO rating.    

Improved Quality of Life

The most notable change as a result of the Dorchester Reach is a significant increase in the quality of life for the residents along the Dorchester Reach and the towns it serves.

There is a great opportunity to improve the health of the citizens by having them move to water supplied through the Dorchester Reach and not from potentially contaminated shallow wells.   

Job Creation

Dorchester County has already begun seeing a positive impact in economic development as a result of the Dorchester Reach. With an adequate supply of water from the Dorchester Reach in place, India based, Sundram Clayton, built their only plant in North America in Dorchester County and Walmart recently announced a $220 million investment with the construction of a distribution center at the Ridgeville Industrial Park, creating 1,000 full-time jobs.

Project Funding

The $13.66 million, Dorchester Reach and Highway 27 Extension was funded by collaboration at all levels of government which include:

• $8.95 Million from the Army Corps of Engineers
• $3 Million from the SC Rural Infrastructure Authority
• $1 Million from Santee Cooper
• $375,875 from the Lake Marion Regional Water Agency
• $400,000 from Dorchester County

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Winding Woods Reach

In February 2020, the Army Corps of Engineers announced $5.12 Million in funding for the LMRWA. The funding was included with the Corps’ 2020 Work Plan and fully funds the water system’s Winding Woods Reach, a 7.7-mile water transmission line from the Town of Harleyville to the Winding Woods Industrial Park near the Town of St. George.

The water line is currently in the design phase. When completed, the waterline will terminate at a 500,000-gallon elevated storage tank. The line will serve the Winding Woods Commerce Park including DHL, and future industries, the Bid Group, Woodland High School, the Dorchester County Courthouse and the greater St. George area.

Also included in the project is the installation of 28 fire hydrants along the water line from Harleyville to the Industrial Park.