Visitors to Greenville’s Town Common were in for quite a surprise recently when a large barge carrying an excavator slowly made its way up the Tar River, courtesy of GUC’s Water Treatment Plant (WTP).

Turning river water into drinking water is quite a task with a lot of steps, and it all begins with bringing water from the Tar River into the WTP. Water enters the plant through intakes in the river, and the intakes have screens that keep out large debris. Over time, sediment begins to accumulate around the intakes and must be removed by dredging.

“The major weather events and rain we’ve had these past two years caused the Tar River to rise more often than usual, which speeds up the sediment buildup around our intakes,” said WTP Superintendent Julius Patrick.

In February, GUC contracted with TJ Marine Construction to begin the weeks-long process of cleaning sediment from around the intakes. Since intake screens are our first line of defense, it’s important to keep the area around the screens clear. That makes the treatment process more efficient and maximizes pumping capacity.

“Quality drinking water is important to us and our customers,” said Julius. “This project is one way we can continue to maintain high treatment standards.”