2030 Plan - Grand Strand Water and Sewer Authority

Water and Sewer Authority (HWSA) was similarly established to provide water and
wastewater services in the area west of the AIWW excluding areas served by
incorporated municipalities. The enabling legislation gave these Authorities broad
powers for providing water and wastewater services. However, no funding or taxing
authority was given to the utilities.
In the early years, GSWSA acquired many small private systems serving the developing
areas. Most of these systems had regulatory and financial problems which allowed
GSWSA to acquire them at minimal costs. From these small systems, GSWSA began to
piece together a consolidated utility system in its rapidly developing service area.
C. 201 Program
In 1971, the Federal Water Pollution Control Act created the Environmental Protection
Agency and established funding to upgrade the nation’s publicly owned wastewater
treatment works to a minimum standard of secondary treatment. The program provided
seventy-five percent grants toward construction of new wastewater treatment facilities
provided certain criteria were met. These criteria outlined in section 201 of the act
required the creation of facility improvement plans using twenty year growth projections.
In 1974, GSWSA was designated as the lead 201 Planning and Management Agency for
the coastal areas of Horry and Georgetown Counties. The intent was to develop
comprehensive regional facilities plans in order to assure that the federal funds allocated
to the projects were spent in the most cost effective and environmentally sound manner.
In the course of preparing the plans, many alternatives were considered. However, in
most cases the plans recommended separate treatment facilities for each of the
wastewater providers. These 201 Facilities Plans resulted in the construction of major
wastewater treatment facilities to serve the City of North Myrtle Beach, the City of
Myrtle Beach, and two facilities to serve GSWSA - a regional facility in the southern part
of the county east of the AIWW and a regional facility in the northern part of the county
just west of the AIWW. Additionally, in the western part of the county both the Cities of
Conway and Loris constructed facilities under the 201 program. All total, over
$80,000,000 was spent in Horry County to construct wastewater treatment facilities under
the 201 program of which over 75 percent came directly from the federal government.
The 201 program gave GSWSA the opportunity to connect and consolidate many of its
small wastewater systems into regional systems serving the eastern portion of the county.
D. Merger of Authorities
Shortly after their creation, it became apparent that the AIWW would not serve as an
appropriate service area boundary between GSWSA and HWSA. Although most of the
development was east of the AIWW, the area between the AIWW and the Waccamaw
River was also developing. Due to rapid development in GSWSA’s service area and the
proactive nature of its leadership, GSWSA was acquiring facilities, customers, qualified
employees, and the general wherewithal to provide service to additional areas. Whereas,
HWSA had no customers, facilities, or employees and therefore did not develop the
capability to provide services. Recognizing the economic potential of the area, in 1975
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