The Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Authority (often shortened to BJWSA) is a

public water system Public water system is a regulatory term used in the United States and Canada, referring to specific utilities and organizations providing drinking water. United States The US Safe Drinking Water Act and derivative legislation define a "public wa ...

and non-profit corporation which handles

water Water is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is a transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance. It is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known liv ...

and

wastewater Wastewater (or waste water) is water generated after the use of freshwater, raw water, drinking water or saline water in a variety of deliberate applications or processes. Another definition of wastewater is "Used water from any combination of do ...

operations for many areas in Beaufort and

Jasper Jasper, an aggregate of microgranular quartz and/or cryptocrystalline chalcedony and other mineral phases, is an opaque, impure variety of silica, usually red, yellow, brown or green in color; and rarely blue. The common red color is due to ...

counties in the

Lowcountry The Lowcountry (sometimes Low Country or just low country) is a geographic and cultural region along South Carolina's coast, including the Sea Islands. The region includes significant salt marshes and other coastal waterways, making it an impor ...

region of

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

. The Authority was created under the provisions of Act 784 by the

South Carolina General Assembly The South Carolina General Assembly, also called the South Carolina Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of South Carolina. The legislature is bicameral and consists of the lower South Carolina House of Representatives and ...

in 1954 to provide services to Beaufort County. In 1969, its powers were expanded to include wastewater facility construction and services. In 1983, the authority merged with the Jasper County Water and Sewer Authority and thus adopting the BJWSA moniker. Although initially set up to provide water and wastewater services to unincorporated areas, BJWSA has over time acquired municipal water and sewer systems for Beaufort,

Port Royal Port Royal () was a town located at the end of the Palisadoes, at the mouth of Kingston Harbour, in southeastern Jamaica. Founded in 1494 by the Spanish, it was once the largest and most prosperous city in the Caribbean, functioning as the cen ...

, Bluffton, and Hardeeville. Since 2008, BJWSA also provides water and service to the military installations located in northern Beaufort County. In 2009, BJWSA assumed ownership of the former Port Royal Railroad right-of-way in northern Beaufort County. The railway was decommissioned and removed in order to allow BJWSA to use the right-of-way for future utility routing and to create the

Spanish Moss Trail The Spanish Moss Trail is a partially-completed, ten-mile multi-purpose rail trail in northern Beaufort County, South Carolina, Beaufort County, South Carolina. Using the former Port Royal Railroad right-of-way now owned by Beaufort-Jasper Water ...

. The authority is governed by an eleven-member board appointed by the

Governor of South Carolina The governor of South Carolina is the head of government of South Carolina. The governor is the ''ex officio'' commander-in-chief of the National Guard when not called into federal service. The governor's responsibilities include making year ...

. A general manager is in charge of day-to-day operations of the authority and oversees the various departments and functions of BJWSA. The Authority's headquarters is located near the border of Beaufort and Jasper counties, between Beaufort and Bluffton along S.C. Highway 170 in the Okatie area. The major fresh-water source for BJWSA is the

Savannah River The Savannah River is a major river in the Southeastern United States, forming most of the border between the states of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and South Carolina. The river flows from the Appalachian Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean, ...

, approximately eight miles north of downtown Hardeeville. An eighteen-mile canal carries freshwater from the river to the BJWSA facility for treatment purposes. The authority operates two water treatment plants, three

wastewater treatment Wastewater treatment is a process which removes and eliminates contaminants from wastewater. It thus converts it into an effluent that can be returned to the water cycle. Once back in the water cycle, the effluent creates an acceptable impact on ...

plants and hundreds of pump stations. BJWSA has approximately 57,000 retail accounts for water services and approximately 38,000 for wastewater services. BJWSA treats an average of 20 million gallons of water for consumption and 9 million gallons of wastewater each day.

Awards

BJWSA has received many awards from state and national groups, including: *Association of Metropolitan Water Associations 'Platinum Award for Competitiveness Achievement' * Government Finance Officers Association Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting 2004 - 2010 *

South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SC DHEC or DHEC) was the government agency responsible for public health and the environment in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was created in 1973 from the merger of the So ...

Facility Excellence Award **Cherry Point Wastewater Treatment Plant 2006 - 2010 **Hardeeville Wastewater Treatment Plant 2006 - 2010 **LB Wastewater Treatment Plant 2008-2010

Notes

External links

Beaufort-Jasper Water & Sewer Authority Web site
{{authority control Companies based in South Carolina Beaufort County, South Carolina Jasper County, South Carolina Public utilities of the United States Water companies of the United States