Officials asking customers to temporarily use less water in Beaufort, Jasper counties

OKATIE, S.C. (WCSC) - The Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Authority (BJWSA) has asked 63,000 customers in Beaufort and Jasper counties to use less water through Wednesday.

The BJWSA is asking customers to postpone outdoor water use including irrigation, washing cars and filling pools, and to only wash full loads when cleaning laundry or dishes.

They say the request is necessary because of several pumps that are out of service after a power surge at the BJWSA’s water treatment plant in Okatie.

“If customers curb their water use this weekend and into the early part of the week, it will buy our crews time to make repairs before we start to lose pressure in the system,” the plant’s chief of operations, Brian Chemsak, said. “We’re working around the clock to resolve the issue before symptoms start to arise at people’s taps.”

Officials say repairs should be completed by Wednesday evening.

BJWSA says they are working on increasing their water production and system storage capacity through a $52 million project. The project would double the capacity of the Purrysburg Water Treatment Plant in Jasper County. It is not expected to be completed until 2025.

“In the meantime, the authority is working with professional landscapers, neighborhood associations, property management companies and other groups to implement an Irrigation Management Program which involves limiting irrigation to three alternating days a week, based on address and no watering on Mondays or between the hours of 3:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.,” a news release stated.