By Rick Abercrombie
On April 17, St. Andrews Optimist Club welcomed as its speaker Clint Shealy, Assistant City Manager, Columbia Water. Shealy was on duty non-stop during the events following the “Thousand Year Flood” of 2015 and as such, was exactly the right person to detail the damages and rebuilding activities associated with it.
The canal had served for decades as an outlet for periods of heavy, sustained rainfall, and left alone with just that factor, probably would have survived the effects of the flood. However, what may have been less anticipated was the phenomenon of serial failures of earthen dams and the overwhelming flow of water over land, rather than through designed outlets. In normal times, it passes Broad River water 3.1 miles to a treatment facility.
The Canal was completed and placed into service in the 1890s and had served its purpose well. In 1896, the second of two power houses were brought online for hydroelectric power. The canal processes roughly half of all the drinking water for Columbia, serving more than 400,000 customers with 80 million gallons of water per day. Included in that service area are six colleges or universities, Ft. Jackson, McEntyre Joint National Guard Air Base, five major hospitals, and the State Capitol.
Safe to say, the reconstruction of the Canal’s capabilities requires maximum prioritization; however, Columbia Water has had to clear hurdle after hurdle to earn certifications and just importantly, funding. Shealy described the process as “glacial pace, but constant pressure.” There were numerous trips to Washington, DC for a variety of permitting and for compliance with environmental considerations.
The end result will be completely modernized water inlet control through 12 head gates, rebuilt canal walls, and restored hydroelectric generation. In the end, more than 400,000 water users will be able to rely on “resilient water supply” for many future generations.
Pictured are Clint Shealy, speaker sponsor Kerry Driggers, and Optimist Club President David Kafitz who presented a copy of the Optimist Creed to the speaker.
