Greenville Utilities has been awarded a $703,000 grant from the US Department of Commerce - Economic Development Administration (EDA) to help fund our industry-leading Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) project. ASR is the storing of treated drinking water (surface or ground) in underground sand deposits (aquifers) during periods of low customer usage and recovering (and using) the water during periods of high customer usage.

“We are pleased the EDA has provided funding for our innovative ASR project,” said Ron Elks, GUC’s General Manager/CEO. “ASR will put GUC in a position to provide a reliable water supply in times of peak demand as well as during emergencies. The current drought provides an example of how water supply can be affected by the weather and naturally occurring conditions. By helping to meet peak demands ASR also effectively extends the life of the current treatment and production facilities.

“The grant process was a success because of the strong partnership among the GUC Board, City of Greenville, local industries such as Pitt County Memorial Hospital and Metrics, Inc., our local legislative delegation, the Mid-East Commission and EDA," said Elks.  

“ASR will have a significant economic impact to our region,” said Elks. “A fully implemented ASR system will allow Greenville Utilities to meet peak demands by using water stored during low demand periods, thus increasing water production capacity for a sufficient time to prevent the need for industrial customers to reduce consumption.”

GUC has invested $1.3 million in the ASR project to date, and two 500-feet wells have been constructed at a site off Old Pactolus Road. The EDA grant will help fund design and construction of the wellhead facilities necessary to inject and withdraw treated water from the ASR well. The total cost of wellhead construction is $1.4 million.

We anticipate starting construction on the wellhead facilities in mid-2008.