Spartanburg Water Utilities History
Spartanburg Water is actually two entities operating under one name. We are Spartanburg Water System (a political subdivision of the city of Spartanburg, overseen by The Commission of Public Works of the City of Spartanburg, South Carolina) and Spartanburg Sanitary Sewer District (a special purpose district established by the state of South Carolina and overseen by the Spartanburg Sanitary Sewer District Commission). Spartanburg Water System and Spartanburg Sanitary Sewer District share many things: goals, facilities, business offices, employees, a general manager, even elected commissioners. Since both are legal entities established by legislation, their finances must be kept separate. However, the work is so interrelated, we have worked as one organization for years. To help the public better understand who we are and that one phone call to our customer service number reaches both organizations, in 2007 we began using the name Spartanburg Water to represent both entities. This page contains a brief history of both organizations, with milestones highlighting significant events.
Spartanburg Water System's original water plant, Chinquapin Filter Plant, was established in 1887 at 250 Whitney Road in Spartanburg.
Privately owned, it went into receivership in 1898. A year later it was purchased by some businessmen with familiar names in the Spartanburg community: John H. Montgomery, Ralph Carson, D. E. Converse, Jesse Franklin Cleveland, and John Bomar Cleveland. They named the business the Home Water Supply Company. On March 25, 1907, a fire started in a house on Forest Street that quickly spread and destroyed over 70 buildings and homes in the Spartan Mills area. After this "Big Fire" there was great interest among the citizens within the city of Spartanburg to acquire ownership of the water company. In June 1907, after a local referendum, the city of Spartanburg purchased the company. The first Commissioners of Public Works were elected in the spring of 1908. In 1910, Samuel A. Bush was appointed the first General Manager of Spartanburg Water Works.
The citizens of Spartanburg have been fortunate that people with vision and foresight made decisions to provide for the economic growth and development of the area, while meeting the basic needs of the community and protecting the environment. Some of the important milestones are listed below:
1912 — New pumps installed at Chinquapin Filter Plant.
1916 — Marvin M. Boyd is appointed General Manager of Spartanburg Water Works.
1917 — Shoally Creek pump station supplements Chinquepin Creek water supply.
1919 — R. B. Simms appointed General Manager of Spartanburg Water Works.
1925 — Construction work began on Reservoir #1 and a new modern filter plant on the South Pacolet River.
The plant today.
1926 — The new filter plant (R. B. Simms Filtration Plant) and Reservoir #1 began operation with a 6-million-gallon-per-day capacity, serving over 30,000 people.
1960 — County population increased to over 156,000 residents. A new dam was built, creating Lake Bowen, to increase the water supply to the Simms Filtration Plant.
Lake Bowen today.
1967 — Spartanburg Water acquired the Cowpens Water System.
1970 — The Simms Filtration Plant was expanded to ensure an adequate water supply for future growth.
1976 — The Commission of Public Works authorized the creation of the H. Taylor Blalock Reservoir (Lake Blalock) to further ensure an abundant supply of water for the future.
1983 — Construction was completed on Lake Blalock.
1987 — Spartanburg Water System celebrated 100 years of existence from 1887, when it was established as a private water company.
1988 — Spartanburg Water acquired Una Water.
1991 — The Joint Maintenance Facility (also known as Maintenance and Construction) was completed. The Joint Maintenance Facility houses the parts and equipment needed to maintain the water distribution system and the sewer collection system.
1996 — Groundbreaking ceremonies took place for the new Lake Blalock Water Treatment Facility.
1997 — The Commission of Public Works began the lengthy process of obtaining permits to raise the level of Lake Blalock, in order to increase the capacity of the reservoir for future water supply needs.
1999 — Lake Blalock Water Treatment Facility began its operations.
2001 — Spartanburg Water acquired the Pacolet Mills water system.
2004 — Construction began to raise the dam at Lake Blalock 10 vertical feet to mean sea level 710.
2004 — The Commission authorized the purchase of the Landrum water system, including the distribution system, water plants, and intake.
2006 — Construction on the Lake Blalock Dam was completed and the lake level was raised, increasing the storage capacity from 2.6 billion gallons to 5.5 billion gallons.
2008 — The Commission of Public Works of the City of Spartanburg celebrated 100 years of dedicated service to our community.
Spartanburg Water offers big picture, long-term water supply and infrastructure planning. This approach has worked successfully for more than 100 years, as we now provide clean, safe water to more than 180,000 residents.
Spartanburg Sanitary Sewer District
In 1929 the Spartanburg Metropolitan District (now known as Spartanburg Sanitary Sewer District) began operation, managed by the Commission of Public Works of the City of Spartanburg. The District was created by Act 556 of the S.C. General Assembly in order to eliminate the pollution hazard created when raw sewage was dumped into creeks and streams. The District was created and was allowed to impose a tax levy so that interceptor lines and treatment plants could be constructed. All of this occurred with the backdrop of the Great Depression.
1931 — The Fairforest and Lawson Fork Wastewater Treatment Plants began operations. The capacity of the Fairforest plant was 3 MGD, and the capacity of the Lawson Fork plant was 1.5 MGD.
1932 — Metropolitan Subdistrict B (the area northwest of the city, including the Southern Shops) was created. The city of Spartanburg was Subdistrict A, established by the original act in 1929.
1939 — A digester and sludge drying beds were added to the Fairforest plant.
1942 — The Fairforest plant was expanded to provide service for the Camp Croft military camp.
1955 — Lawson Fork capacity was expanded to accommodate growth.
1960 — The average flow to the Lawson Fork Wastewater Treatment Plant was 2.7 million gallons per day (MGD); the average flow to the Fairforest Wastewater Treatment Plant was 4.1 MGD.
1965 — The District acquired ownership of the Camp Croft sewage facilities.
1965 — The Una Subdistrict was formed, creating Subdistrict C.
During the years from 1929 until after the end of WWII, the Metropolitan District was hard pressed to maintain the status quo. Expansions and extensions were practically non-existent. However, with the boom that came after the end of the war, growth in the area had spurred haphazard development that included private sewerage systems that were sometimes inadequate. In other areas, no systems were in place. The Spartanburg Metropolitan District lacked authority to construct collection lines to serve new development, or to establish standards for the construction and upkeep of systems. In the late 1960s, it was recognized that legislative changes were needed.
1970 — Legislative Act 1503 was passed, changing the name from Spartanburg Metropolitan District to Spartanburg Sanitary Sewer District. This legislation expanded the boundaries of the District and gave it authority to construct sewer collection mains to serve users directly. It also allowed the District to annex areas by petition or by public necessity to serve areas beyond its initial established boundaries.
1970 — Large expansion of the Fairforest plant was completed, increasing capacity to 10 MGD.
1973 — Legislation was passed that, among other things, established the Spartanburg Sanitary Sewer District Commission as the governing body of the District. This legislation was later changed by the State Supreme Court, reducing the number of commissioners from eight to seven.
1974 to 1977 — Large expansion of the Lawson Fork plant was completed, increasing capacity to 6 MGD.
1988 — Lawson Fork and Fairforest are expanded again to include equalization basins at each facility and other process components.
1991 — The Joint Maintenance Facility (also known as Maintenance and Construction) 
was completed. The Joint Maintenance Facility houses the parts and equipment needed to maintain the water distribution system and the sewer collection system.
1992 — Spartanburg Sanitary Sewer District annexed the Pacolet Mills service area.
1997 — Spartanburg Sanitary Sewer District assumed ownership of the Fingerville sewer system.
1998 — Spartanburg Sanitary Sewer District acquired the Landrum sewer system.
2002 — Construction began on the project to expand and upgrade the Fairforest plant to a 25 MGD capacity, consolidating all treatment and biosolids handling at one location and thus providing for the eventual elimination of the Lawson Fork plant.
2006 — Discharge into Lawson Fork Creek was eliminated. All wastewater and biosolids are pretreated and diverted to Fairforest for final treatment and disposal.
2007 — The upgrade to the Fairforest facility was completed, and it was celebrated at an open house on May 15, 2008.
2008 — The city of Spartanburg's sewer system was transferred to the Spartanburg Sanitary Sewer District, effective January 1, 2008.