NEESES – Silver Springs Water District was named the 2008 Water System of the Year in Category 2 by the S.C. Rural Water Association during its 32nd Annual Technical Conference & Exhibit Show in Myrtle Beach Sept. 15-18.

The SCRWA provides technical assistance, training, public education and outreach, publications, legislative monitoring and other services for its member water systems across the state.

In a prepared release, Phil Harris, SCRWA executive director, said the organization recognizes winners of the Awards of Excellence annually at the Fall Technical Conference & Exhibit Show.

The awards were presented at the event by Rodney Tart, national Rural Water Association president.

Silver Springs Water District was established in May 1971 by the S.C. General Assembly as a special purpose water district, originally serving 117 customers. In 2000, Silver Springs Water District was also named as the USDA-Rural Development’s Water System of the Year.

Harris said Silver Springs now covers a service area of 133 square miles with approximately 260 miles of water main lines and more than 250 fire hydrants, three groundwater wells and a maximum production capability of approximately 1 million gallons per day. The four elevated storage tanks in Silver Springs Water District also hold a combined capacity of 600,000 gallons.

Henry Chaplin, SSWD board chairman and CEO, said, “It took a lot of hard work on a lot of people’s part that resulted in this award, like the board members and district comptroller Bill Chaplin and my wife, who I thank for putting up with me. We’ve also had wonderful cooperation from Orangeburg County board members, and we feel we have adequate water to handle the situation at the new industrial park proposed for the western end of the county.”

Chaplin added, “When we took over this water system, we were $10,000 in debt, had only 200 customers and had only $45 in the bank. Now we have adequate money in the bank, no outstanding bills and in excess of 1,000 customers. We are also currently adding 15 miles of water lines between Sawyerdale and North.”

Members of Silver Springs Water District Board of Directors in addition to Chaplin are James “Sam” Fanning, vice-chairman; Edgar Hutto, treasurer; and Jewel M. Chavis, secretary.

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