Mount Pleasant officials break ground on $10 million drainage project

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCSC) - Flooding in the Lowcountry is not a new problem, but the town of Mount Pleasant is working on a solution.

City officials broke ground today at the Royall Avenue Basin in the Old Village District of Mount Pleasant. This is just one of 27 basins that were evaluated across the city, and the officials say that drainage issues and the number of flood claims put this one at the top of the list.

“We have a state-owned infrastructure that really hasn’t been upgraded in 50-60 years,” Mount Pleasant Mayor Will Haynie said. “Everybody knows with climate change and flooding issues in the Lowcountry, this is a high priority, and I’m proud of our town for putting a shovel in the dirt today to fix it.”

This groundbreaking is the start of an almost $10 million project that includes installing new pipes, upsizing old ones and the re-establishment of swales. From these new improvements, town officials say that residents who originally relied on infiltration to reduce flooding can expect to be connected to the new drainage system.

Haynie said there will be some inconveniences for Old Village residents including road closures, construction sounds and some trees being removed, but by the end of the project, the water will drain much faster than it currently does, and the quality of that drainage, which heads to the harbor, will also be improved.

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