ReWa Event Celebrates Completion of Digging Phase of Massive DIG Greenville Wastewater Conveyance Project, as Tunnel Boring Machine Surfaces After More Than Nine Months Underground
Critical multi-year infrastructure project remains on-track for completion in May 2021
Greenville S.C. (October 7, 2020) – Renewable Water Resources (ReWa) recently announced that it has completed the tunnel digging and excavation phase of its largest-ever, multi-year wastewater infrastructure project, DIG Greenville. After more than nine months of drilling underneath the City of Greenville, the project’s high-powered tunnel boring machine (TBM) has completed its journey from Cleveland Park, surfacing at the prepared site on Westfield Street near the Kroc Center. On its way, this huge and incredibly powerful machine bored through solid granite and crossed the Reedy River twice, all while minimizing disturbance and inconvenience for area residents.
ReWa marked this key milestone with a media-only, socially distanced event at the Westfield Street construction site on Tuesday, October 6. Attendees were loaded into a crane one small group at a time and taken down 120 feet for a personal tour of the newly-completed tunnel. Footage of the TBM surfacing and a virtual tour of the tunnel and shaft are available to the public at www.diggreenville.org and on ReWa’s social media channels.
The Reedy River Basin Sewer Tunnel (RRBST), also known as DIG Greenville, is a wastewater conveyance project designed to safely and efficiently revitalize the wastewater infrastructure in the rapidly growing Greenville area community for the next 100 years by adding needed wastewater capacity to support continued growth in the Upstate. ReWa’s partners in the project include engineering firm Black & Veatch and contractor Super Excavators.
Construction on this wastewater conveyance project was designed to minimize disruption by mining a tunnel under downtown Greenville. This project broke ground in the spring of 2018 in Cleveland Park. With boring complete, the project will shift its focus to installing and grouting the 7-foot diameter fiberglass pipe inside the tunnel, establishing near-surface sewer connections and restoring the above-ground construction sites. Construction remains on-budget, with project completion still targeted for May of 2021.
A critical part of ReWa’s continued mission is to proactively support growth and protect the environment in the Upstate, DIG Greenville is one of the agency’s largest and most impactful capital investment projects with a budget of approximately $50 million.
“DIG Greenville is one of the most important infrastructure investments needed to ensure economic growth and development in the area,” said ReWa Chief Executive Officer, Graham W. Rich. “With this investment and hard work, sewer lines and the area along the Reedy River will be at a lower risk for sewer overflows, especially when rainfall is high. This investment and work was also required to ensure Greenville’s future economic development since, without it, no additional wastewater flows could be added to the existing lines.”
ReWa provides regular updates on the project through www.diggreenville.org, as well as the agency’s website and social media channels. It also hosts periodic updates through its “Sippin’ with Steve” information-sharing sessions with the project construction manager, Steve O'Connell.
“All of us at ReWa are so proud of the DIG Greenville project, not just for what it will accomplish, but because of the fashion in which it’s been handled: through thorough planning, employing advanced technology, demonstrating real concern and advocacy for the environment and residents, within budget objectives and with complete transparency,” said ReWa Director of Communications Chad Lawson. “We are committed to finishing strong, staying ahead of the development curve, and continuing our efforts to ensure the smart growth and sustainability required for our area to thrive now and for generations to come.”
About Renewable Water Resources (ReWa)
Since 1925, Renewable Water Resources (ReWa) has been committed to providing high-quality wastewater treatment services to the Upstate of South Carolina while promoting a cleaner environment, protecting public health and the water quality of Upstate waterways, and developing the necessary sewer infrastructure to sustain our community and growing economy.
With nine water resource recovery facilities and more than 350 miles of pipe, we serve a broad geographic area, including Greenville County and portions of Anderson, Laurens, Pickens and Spartanburg Counties. Each day an estimated 42 million gallons of water passes through our trunk lines and reclamation facilities before being cleaned and returned to our area rivers and streams. To learn more about ReWa, visit www.rewaonline.org.
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