The following projects were selected to showcase our project team’s experience with similar projects.

In 2019, Florence County procured Eastern Engineering to analyze public water availability throughout the unincorporated areas of Florence County. This involved analyzing each of the nine individual water systems that have been established in the county and their respective franchise areas.

Our firm compiled and analyzed data for each water system, including system as-built information, GIS data, SCDES sanitary surveys, billing reports, and system master plans. Using this data, our engineers evaluated existing and planned water infrastructure, system deficiencies, water rates and fees, population served, and water utilization rates for each individual system. Through this study, our engineers identified several viable water expansion projects and potential funding solutions for each of the individual systems and made recommendations related to franchise agreements and rural fire protection.

Eastern Engineering worked with the Town of Olanta to develop a rural water system master plan in efforts to reach most residents in the Olanta water franchise area. We identified four high density areas of the study area which were economically feasible to serve. Soon after, the Town was allocated funds from the Florence County Capital Project Sales Tax (CPST) III Initiative to serve one of these communities. We then used the data from the master plan to develop an application to South Carolina Infrastructure Investment Program (SCIIP) where we subsequently received additional funding for the remainder of the master plan. With funding from these two sources, the Town moved forward with this transformational project to provide clean drinking water to a largely agricultural region with varying population densities. This project included the design and permitting of 11.5 miles of waterlines to serve 119 residences and businesses in the project area. Additionally, this project includes the construction of two automatic master meter connections which will connect the Olanta Water System to the Coward Water System and the Barrineau Public Utilities System.

Because this is a rural community served by a volunteer fire department, we also coordinated with the Fire Chief to ensure adequate hydrant spacing was maintained throughout the project and assisted the department with spotting to best location for their new fire station which is to be located along this project’s line extensions. This project not only serves the areas in most need of water but serves as the springboard to serve the remaining areas of the franchise area.

Our team provided all engineering services related to this project’s planning, design, permitting, bidding, and contract award as well as all construction administration and construction observation services. This project is currently under construction with a planned completion date of early 2026. This project has a budget of $6,943,716.

Olanta Sewer Rehabilitation Project

The Town of Olanta is a small town located in Southwestern Florence County. The Town’s sanitary sewage collection system consists of around 50,000 LF of sewer mains and 224 manholes. When the Town of Olanta reached out to our firm in 2018, they were on the verge of bankruptcy. Substantial volumes of stormwater runoff were entering the sewer system through infiltration and inflow (I&I), and the Town of Olanta was losing thousands of dollars each month treating this excess water.

Our team developed a Preliminary Engineering Report, submitted a funding application to the USDA, and successfully secured over $1.5M in funds from USDA and RIA to analyze and fully rehabilitate the Olanta Sewer System. Our team compiled as-built data, conducted field investigations, and utilized GPS locating to develop a full inventory of the Town’s existing sewer infrastructure. Our engineers completed a comprehensive analysis of the Town’s sewer infrastructure and identified hundreds of potential sources of I&I on the system through CCTV and visual inspections. Our team also explored various repair methods and developed a detailed plan to resolve these issues.

Construction of this project was completed in September of 2022, and the Town of Olanta’s excessive wastewater treatment volume has been reduced by over 60%, resulting in savings of $15k per month in wastewater treatment costs.

Olanta Lift Station Upgrades

The Olanta Lift Station Upgrades Project was an effort to address longstanding issues with two of the Town’s most critical lift stations. Years of over-pumping, necessary to manage excessive infiltration and inflow, had led to repeated equipment failures and several sewage overflows. With the Olanta Sewer Rehabilitation Project underway to correct defects contributing to I&I, the Town could begin improving other components of its sewer system.

Our engineers conducted a thorough evaluation of the existing infrastructure, developed a comprehensive project scope, and successfully secured State Revolving Fund (SRF) principal forgiveness funding to implement the Olanta Lift Station Upgrades Project.

The project involved the near-total reconstruction of two of the Town’s four lift stations. Our engineers selected modern pump components designed to improve reliability, reduce maintenance demands, and integrate seamlessly with the Town’s existing SCADA system, enabling real-time remote monitoring by the system operator.

Completed in 2023 and delivered within budget, the upgrades significantly improved the functionality and resilience of the Town’s wastewater system, marking a substantial transformation from its previous condition.

In 2022, the Town of Lane approached our firm to assist with completing a lead service line inventory and implementing various improvements to its water system infrastructure. Our engineers worked closely with the Town to evaluate its existing infrastructure, prioritize the most urgent needs, and develop a comprehensive funding plan to support these improvements. We prepared and submitted a successful funding application, ultimately securing $1,000,000 in principal forgiveness funds through the State Revolving Fund (SRF) for the project.

A key component of the project involved conducting a thorough lead service line inventory of the Town’s water system. This required extensive collaboration with both the Town and the system operator to gather as-built data, review maintenance records, and carry out field investigations. Through these efforts, we identified service line materials, including lead, galvanized, and other types, throughout the system. These findings helped define the scope of the second phase of the project, which includes targeted water main replacements.

The second phase, which is currently under construction, includes a range of critical improvements to the water system. These involve repainting an existing elevated water storage tank, rehabilitating the master meter connection to the Williamsburg County Water System, and replacing problematic galvanized and asbestos-cement (AC) water mains with new PVC water mains. These upgrades will significantly enhance the reliability and safety of the Lane Water System.

Lane Sewer Improvements & Municipal Building

Eastern Engineering recently worked with the Town of Lane to complete the Lane Sewer Improvements & Municipal Building Project. This project included the design and construction of approximately seven miles of gravity and force main, 109 manholes, three residential grinder pumps, three lift stations, and a new 3,500-SF municipal building and parking lot for the Town of Lane in Williamsburg County, SC. In addition to funding acquisition services, our firm provided all engineering services related to this project’s planning, design, permitting, bidding, and award. This project’s construction was successfully completed in November of 2023.

When this project was bid out, COVID-19 was at its peak. The resulting supply chain and material availability issues had a significant impact on this project’s construction cost and schedule, putting the project at risk of being dropped. Our engineers worked diligently to provide solutions so that this project could still be completed under these unforeseen circumstances. Even under one of the worst economic downturns of our lifetime and unprecedented supply chain disruptions, this project was completed within the planned budget and timeframe.

Lane Pedestrian Paths & Storm Drainage Project

The Town of Lane’s Pedestrian Paths and Storm Drainage Project is an effort to provide residents with a safe method of traveling throughout town via multi-use bicycle and pedestrian pathways. The planned pedestrian paths were strategically located to serve as many residents as possible and will connect residential areas, bus stops, businesses, and the Town’s recreation center.

The pedestrian paths will be 5’ wide asphalt sidewalks located along the shoulder of various roads throughout town. Due to existing roadside swales along the shoulders of all roads throughout the town, there was limited space available for the proposed path layout. To accomplish this, preliminary storm drainage and grading design was completed, adding storm drain inlets and piping to fill these existing ditches and increase the shoulder width. This provided the required room for the proposed pedestrian paths.

Our engineers completed this project’s planning/preliminary design and provided funding acquisition services for this project. This included completing the conceptual design and project layout, developing a project narrative, and preparing detailed cost estimates. This project was funded by SCDOT’s Transportation Alternatives Program and is currently being administered by SCDOT.