South Carolina construction firm enters penalty phase over delayed sewer project completion
(UI) — A $12 million sewer expansion project known as Sewer South Phase 2, overseen by a construction company from Anderson County, has exceeded its Oct. 29 completion deadline, mainly due to outstanding final tasks, according to UpstateToday.com.
These remaining “punch list” items have delayed the issuance of an operational permit for the system.
Chris Eleazer, executive director of the Oconee Joint Regional Sewer Authority, shared his concerns at a recent Board of Commissioners meeting after receiving a letter from project manager John Reynolds regarding the delays.
According to UpstateToday.com, Eleazer indicated that the construction firm, Moorhead Construction, had already been granted a contract extension but expressed reluctance to approve an additional one.
"We’re still waiting on the operating permit," Eleazer stated, according to UpstateToday.com. "Moorhead Construction has requested another extension, but after discussions with engineers and the Appalachian Council of Governments, I don’t think it’s necessary."
He added that many items could be addressed under warranty; however, certain requirements, like the “record drawings,” remain essential to obtaining the permit.
To fulfill regulatory requirements, the project’s engineers and the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services need a complete set of accurate record drawings. Eleazer said that Davis and Floyd, the engineering firm involved, had repeatedly contacted Moorhead Construction to finalize this documentation.
Because of these unresolved issues, the project has now moved into a “liquidated damages” stage, with a daily penalty of $750 starting from Oct. 24.
Moorhead Construction has attributed some delays to Hurricane Helene, requesting an additional eight days to address specific items. However, according to Eleazer, the punch-list tasks were reportedly completed by the original Oct. 29 deadline, making the remaining drawings the main outstanding requirement.
In response to a board inquiry, Eleazer clarified that he was unaware of any major changes to the drawings, noting that this information would be necessary for the project's final approval.
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