The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, announced few days ago that the Raw Water Storage Impoundment (RWSI) construction project – an important part of the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project (SHEP) – is now roughly 60% complete.
The contractor, Thalle Construction Company of Hillsborough, North Carolina, started work on the project in March 2016.
USACE estimates that active construction will take 18-21 months to complete, depending on weather and other factors.
The impoundment will provide an additional resource of fresh water that may be needed when the Savannah River experiences drought conditions at extremely high tides in hot weather. Use of the impoundment during these rare occurrences ensures water quality remains unchanged.
During normal operations, water will continue to be drawn from Abercorn Creek and will bypass the impoundment. During low river flows and high tides, pumping from Abercorn Creek will stop and water will be drawn from the impoundment until tides recede.