Events surrounding the Jenkinsville Water Company clearly indicate its prudent path to redemption is to join the Fairfield Water Authority. First, it makes common sense to have a coordinated and united water authority to facilitate growth and welfare for the county. Second, JWC could use the help.
Clearly, JWC has a history of troubling challenges. In addition to the recent boil order, according to The State (6/7/19), “Since 2010, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control has made four enforcement cases against the Jenkinsville Water Co. for various problems, including failure for days to notify customers of bacteria in the drinking water. The lack of notice in 2012 resulted in an unusually large state fine of $14,000 against the company.
“The system, which serves a working class area 35 miles north of Columbia, also has had trouble with radioactive contaminants. Additionally, in 2017, the company ran into trouble with state regulators for failing to collect enough water samples for testing after finding bacteria,” according to records obtained by The State.
But health issues are not the only problems at JWC.
The June 2016 disappearance of about $10,000 in subscribers’ deposits highlighted the company’s egregious failure to follow a due diligence process. Of course, some unorthodox public meetings that turned into donnybrooks have only served to further muddy JWC’S image.
But perhaps the most troubling issue, is the fact that the water company has been operating at a loss for 6 of the last 7 years (The Voice 1/17/19). Furthermore, JWC still owes the USDA well over $500k as of 1/17/19 (The Voice 1/17/19).
Yes, it is long past time that JWC unites with the Fairfield Water Authority and gets the help it needs while being a team player in moving the county forward.
Randy Bright
Ridgeway
