HOLLY HILL, S.C. — The Orangeburg County town of Holly Hill may turn to a North Carolina based utility company to help with their water and sewage services.
“The people of Holly Hill have been left behind for a many a years and I want them to understand that this is how we’re going to get to the front of the map,” said Holly Hill mayor Billy Chavis.
Chavis says for years the town's climbing water and sewage rates has been weighing down on the town's budget. So now, the town is considering a short-term agreement with Envirolink for operation and maintenance to start treating its water and sewage.
“With us entering this concession with Envirolink on the short term, hopefully it will help us go ahead and identify some of our problems that we have on where we’re hemorrhaging money on our operating maintenance," said Chavis.
Envirolink representatives told the town council that Holly Hill was losing an average of nearly $268,000 in water and sewage. Chavis says the town's pipes and equipment are aging and the infrastructure of the town is not able to support its economic development.
“We have too much growth opportunities on our doorstep and everyone is saying growth is coming, growth is coming. Well Holly Hill has to take advantage of this growth and opportunity now because we’ve been left behind. Holly Hill, Eastern Orangeburg County has been left behind," he said.
If approved, the short-term agreement with Envirolink would last up to six months. Envirolink is also proposing to enter into a 40 year concession agreement with the town of Holly Hill. Through this proposal, the company would invest $13.5 million in initial capital upgrades to the town's water and sewage system.