City of Sumter to Receive Grant for Stormwater Improvements

SUMTER, SC (March 12, 2021) – The state of South Carolina announced this week that the City of Sumter has been awarded a South Carolina Office of Resilience’s (SCOR) Disaster Recovery Office grant for stormwater infrastructure and drainage improvements.

The federal funding received by the state following the 2015 1000-year flood, initially directed by Governor Haley and now Governor McMaster, plans to help mitigate drainage issues in areas of low to moderate income (LMI).

This round of funding will focus on three areas in the City of Sumter -- Crosswell Drive, Miller Road and Lafayette Drive. The grant to help pay for all three projects totals over $4.8 million.

“Initially, we applied for 20 different projects across the city, with only these three approved to date,” stated David Merchant, Mayor. “Having this additional funding will allow us to focus our local stormwater dollars on other targeted areas around the city.”

The state announced this week following their Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery and Mitigation Steering Committee meeting that the City of Sumter, along with eight other communities around the South Carolina would receive part of the federal funding.

“This process has taken several years to accomplish,” stated Merchant. “We want to thank our state delegation for their continued support and the governor’s office for creating the Office of Resilience. This office will hopefully allow Sumter and all communities across the state to rebound much faster after future disasters.” 

For more information on the City of Sumter, visit www.sumtersc.gov.