ST. MATTHEWS – The St. Matthews Town Council during its October meeting changed course in plans for handling the town’s treated wastewater.

Council went into executive session to consider additional information concerning the proposed wastewater drip irrigation field. Upon reporting out, the council voted unanimously to withdraw the proposal for purchasing the Gressette property for use as a drip irrigation field and to “actively pursue moving the site to the 373-acre tract at the Wannamaker site” for use as a wastewater treatment spray-field.

Town engineer Kevin Strickling said that move would alleviate the concerns of the residents in the Caldwell Hills and Jamison Heights subdivisions about possible odors or pollution from the treated wastewater.

Council’s action was based on a report from Strickling who said he thought only 60 acres of the 209 acres at the Gressette site would work for a drip irrigation field. Although that amount of space would meet the immediate needs of the town’s treated wastewater, it would not suffice for the future, Strickling said.

St. Matthews Administrator Dick Whetstone said state, county and local officials are working together to make the change. The cost of the site would increase by approximately $500,000, Whetstone said, but he noted that the Rural Development Authority will be able to help the town with the additional cost.

Whetstone said the new plans call for a spray-field at the Wannamaker site since the grass must be cut and removed, eliminating the likelihood of damaging the equipment with the mowers.

Also during the meeting, Whetstone said the town had not been reimbursed by the S.C. Department of Transportation for the $211,000 St. Matthews spent on the streetscape project. He said he was still waiting for the SCDOT to respond. All street cuts were repaired on Oct. 2, Whetstone said.

He also reported that the town is currently surveying for missing and damaged street signs. The county is no longer helping with replacements, so it may take a little longer to get signs replaced, Whetstone said.

In other business:

* The police report for September indicated 50 traffic tickets were issued and 137 calls received. Lt. Andy Hayes said the police department had surveyed all houses in St. Matthews for the reflective 911 address signs and those missing them had been notified. The next step is to issue tickets to homeowners who have not complied with the ordinance, he said. Hayes said the task would be completed before the next council meeting.

* The fire department report for September indicated there were 24 total calls.

T&D Correspondent Larry P. Jordan can be reached by phone at 803-874-3276.

You must be logged in to comment.