Renewable Water Resources (ReWa)

If you drive past our oyster shell recycling bin near the intersection of Mauldin and Wenwood roads, you’ll notice a mound of oyster shells. Those shells are taken to the South Carolina coast to build oyster reefs to reduce erosion, support aquatic life and produce more oysters to filter water. Shells are quarantined for several months to reduce the potential of taking harmful bacteria to the coast. Then, the shells are bagged up for South Carolina Department of Natural Resources' South Carolina Oyster Recycling and Enhancement Program (SCORE). A few ReWa employees recently volunteered to bag shells and place them on pallets for SCDNR to pick up. Employees in the utility’s maintenance shop built a device to improve the efficiency of our bagging operations.

ReWa recently hosted the Utility Safety Summit to discuss our safety journey and to kick off more collaboration between Upstate utilities to discuss safety practices and training partnerships. Learn about the steps we're taking in this piece by Michael Gates, ReWa’s environmental health and safety manager. He also shares his thoughts on what’s involved with building a culture of safety with the SCAWWA WEASC Journal. It's on page 104 of the publication: https://rebrand.ly/3srlxng

ReWa recently participated in Sevier Middle School’s College & Career Fair. We discussed our work, career opportunities and explained how a sludge truck works. 

ReWa recently supported a college and career fair for students attending Brashier Middle College Charter High School and Greer Middle College Charter High School. More than 500 students and families attended the event, and 49 colleges and universities participated. 

ReWa’s executive team visited employees across the utility to celebrate #SCWaterProfessionalsDay. They delivered sweet treats while expressing appreciation to teams for their dedication and learned about initiatives that employees are leading.

ReWa discharges 44 million gallons of water daily into Upstate rivers and streams. A team of people with diverse skills contribute to this work, which impacts public health and the environment while enhancing our community’s quality of life. We’re grateful for their contributions as we celebrate #SCWaterProfessionalsDay with colleagues across the state. 

It’s the last day of the month, and when you flip our “Waterways of the Upstate” calendar you’ll see a photo taken by David Hart of Greenville. It’s titled “Two Mallards at Conestee Nature Preserve.” If you don’t have a calendar, you can download it from our website: https://rebrand.ly/le1x3dg You can also pick up one by visiting our administrative building at 561 Mauldin Road in Greenville between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.  

ReWa CEO Joel H. Jones has announced plans to retire from his position on April 30. The utility’s board has named COO Rebecca West its next CEO. Read more: https://rebrand.ly/bfsypmi

ReWa hosted the Utility Safety Summit this week to discuss the latest practices in safety, our safety journey and the need to listen to and empower employees. The event aimed to kick off more collaboration between Upstate utilities to regularly discuss safety practices and to partner for training. 

ReWa’s Board of Commissioners recognized three employees who received awards during last month’s Blue Ridge Foothills District Awards Banquet. Dillon Hembree was named the district’s Wastewater Treatment Operator of the Year, Jess Knox was named Young Professional of the Year and Thomas Solon received Engineer of the Year. Read more: https://rebrand.ly/16kwlmz