COLUMBIA, S.C.—South Carolina is providing vital assistance to small towns and counties striving to modernize their antiquated water and sewer systems by investing $27 million in one-time funding for rural infrastructure development.
Over the course of the upcoming fiscal year, the South Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA) will oversee the distribution of the state legislature-approved monies through new award cycles.
Boosting Economic Growth Through Infrastructure
The financing, according to state officials, is a component of a larger initiative to increase South Carolina’s ability to assist rural areas’ economic development. The funds will be used to update vital infrastructure, which is frequently decades old and unable to accommodate expanding populations or new company growth.
The investments are crucial to setting up communities for long-term prosperity, according to Cathryn Poplin, the City of Sumter’s capital improvements manager.
Poplin clarified, “We wouldn’t be able to support new businesses that want to come to the city without this added infrastructure.” This enables us to keep fostering the expansion of local businesses and residences.
In order to finance a multi-million dollar wastewater project that is still in the design stage, Sumter just obtained a $1.5 million grant from the RIA’s Spring 2025 cycle.
How the $27 Million Will Be Used
The recently authorized funds consist of:
-
$12 million
for the
Rural Infrastructure Fund
-
$15 million
for the
Water and Sewer Infrastructure Fund
The total amount available for the next cycle is $49 million, which includes these sums in addition to the RIA’s regular annual financing. With the first application deadline in September 2025 and the second round finishing in March 2026, the next award cycle will begin this fall.
Previous Projects Already Showing Results
Towns like Swansea, which received $2 million to upgrade its water and sewer systems, have benefited from previous RIA financing. According to a local analysis, critical infrastructure repairs of $3 to $5 million are required to maintain the systems’ functionality.
According to Jay Nicholson of the Joint Municipal Water and Sewer Commission, the investment is assisting the community in addressing decades’ worth of wear and tear.
According to Nicholson, it’s merely an illustration of deteriorating, aged infrastructure. These lines simply gave out, and if you’re not ready to respond and fix that, the community will suffer.
Grants Will Be Issued in Two Phases
The new financing cycle’s initial application period is currently available and will end in September 2025. Additional towns will have the opportunity to apply for project assistance in a second round scheduled for March 2026.
With outdated infrastructure systems and rising development pressure on rural areas, the financing is anticipated to have a quantifiable impact on small communities’ economic sustainability and quality of life throughout the state.
Do you reside in a small, rural town in South Carolina that might profit from this funding? Have local authorities brought up any impending infrastructure initiatives in your community?Visit saludastandard-sentinel.com at any moment to read more local impact stories.