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HANAHAN, S.C. (WCSC) - The Charleston Water System is investing millions of dollars into its system to make sure it’s able to meet the needs of the community in the future.

Every day, millions of gallons of water are treated at the Hanahan Water Treatment Plant. Last year, the company approved its 2024-2027 Capital Improvements Program to lay the groundwork for the expansion of this treatment plant.

The water system is investing more than $150 million to take the plant from processing 115.4 million gallons a day to 127 million gallons a day, according to the plan. That will allow them to meet the projected water needs through 2034.

The projects to achieve this include adding two new granular media filters and improvement to the settled water conveyance system that would eventually lay the groundwork for new plate settler basins and future expansion to process 144 million gallons a day.

All of those systems work together to separate natural water from large particles like dirt and pollen. The water is then cleaned, treated and sanitized before it heads to the pipes that flow into area homes.

Jane Bryne, the director of the water treatment plant, says they are constantly working to make the process more efficient.

“You want to show continuous improvement. So, if you have all of these settling basins, we want to know which one is performing worse. Why? How do we make it better? Same with the filters,” Bryne says. “So, we are analyzing constantly all of these basins, all of these units.”

This expansion is part of the water system’s commitment with a group called Partnership for Safe Water. It’s a promise to treat the water beyond the necessary regulations.

“At the Charleston Water System, we want to be so much better than the regulations,” Bryne says. “Turbidity, which is a measure of the cloudiness in the water, that’s kind of one of the key things we have in terms of how safe the water is to drink. So if three is what the regulation calls for. We need to be below one to be able to meet partnership.”

In simple terms, Bryne says, this means the water at Charleston Water System is three times better than the regulations require.

The Charleston Water System is constantly testing the water to make sure everything is where it needs to be. Bryne says they test turbidity every 30 minutes.

These planned upgrades will allow them to keep up with the projected maximum demand through 2034.

There is another project that’s part of their capital improvement plan,a $4.3 million project to replace what’s called a “clear well curtain wall.” A clear well is where the water sits for a period of time while chemicals kill all the bacteria before leaving the plant.

That project is expected to be done this year.

Copyright 2025 WCSC. All rights reserved.

Slow-moving system soaking Southeast, mid-Atlantic

A slow-moving storm system that has been blasting portions of the Gulf Coast, Southeast and mid-Atlantic is expected to continue to funnel precipitation into the region as we begin a new workweek, increasing the chances for flash flooding. FOX Weather Meteorologist Jane Minar breaks down the latest forecast on Sunday, May 11.

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Roads in Charleston, South Carolina, were impassable due to flooding on Sunday after torrential rain drenched cities across the Southeast and mid-Atlantic as deep tropical moisture flows in from the Gulf.

After steady rain and storms on Saturday, more potentially record-breaking precipitation is expected Sunday and Monday.

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Rain soaking Panama City Beach, Florida

It's been a wet morning in Panama City. FOX Weather's Brandy Campbell captured video of residents running through the rain and triathletes bicycling through the downpours.

According to the National Weather Service, Charleston International Airport in South Carolina has received 1.99 inches of rain since midnight. This breaks the rainfall record for May 11 of 1.93 inches, set in 1952.

In addition, downtown Charleston has received 2.06 inches of rain since midnight. That crushes the previous record rainfall for May 11 of 1.57 inches, set 126 years ago in 1899.

In Florida, Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport in Panama City picked up a whopping 0.75 inches of rain in just eight minutes between 3:56 a.m. and 4:04 a.m. CT, which is a staggering rainfall rate of 5.63 inches an hour.

Panama City's two-hour rainfall total between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. CT was 2.26 inches.

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(FOX Weather)

The slow-moving storm system lingering along the Gulf Coast is expected to continue sending waves of rain and thunderstorms across parts of Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas on Mother’s Day and into the start of the new workweek.

Some communities could see over 4 inches of rain, especially where thunderstorms linger over a region. The ground in many areas will already be saturated from earlier rain, so it won’t take much to trigger flash flooding.

On Sunday morning, numerous Flash Flood Warnings were issued in parts of Alabama, Florida and South Carolina due to the relentless rounds of heavy rain. Those have since expired.

(FOX Weather)

NOAA's Weather Prediction Center is concerned about additional flooding and has placed millions of people in the Southeast and mid-Atlantic in a Level 2 out of 4 flood threat on Sunday and Monday.

Florida, southern Georgia and southern South Carolina are in the bull's-eye for the heaviest rain on Sunday, but parts of Alabama, Mississippi and even western North Carolina could also see localized flooding.

(FOX Weather)

Western North Carolina is still in recovery mode after communities there were decimated by Hurricane Helene's onslaught last year, although rainfall totals in that region aren't expected to be anywhere near what was experienced during that deadly and historic event.

The storm system is expected to slowly drift into the Tennessee Valley by Monday, spreading rain into the Carolinas and Virginia.

Flood Watches are expected to expand as the situation continues to unfold early this week, so residents are urged to prepare.

The system is expected to exit the region by Tuesday, and rainfall totals are expected to remain in the 3-5 inch range for most areas. However, isolated totals of up to 7 inches could fall in some parts of western North Carolina and Virginia.

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Mercedes-Benz Vans hits 5M Sprinter milestone

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North Charleston-based Mercedes-Benz Vans has contributed to five million Sprinter vans produced globally after nearly 20 years of production out of the Lowcountry, according to a news release.

Mercedes recently handed over its five millionth vehicle, an all-electric van, to FedEx, a longstanding customer for the manufacturer, according to a news release. The van was assembled at the North Charleston facility for Sprinter in North America.

“The global production of five million Sprinter vans and the celebration of the model’s 30th anniversary is a testament to its enduring success,” Thomas Klein, head of Mercedes-Benz Vans, said in the release. “This milestone reflects the dedication of our teams, the trust of our customers, and the continuous evolution of a vehicle that has defined the large van segment for three decades. We are proud of this legacy and excited for the future as we continue to drive progress in the van industry.”

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FedEx was one of Mercedes-Benz first major customers in the United States, contributing to a risen interest from fleet customers which inspired the North Charleston facilities, the release said. The FedEx fleet has begun to deploy the eSprinter in four states.

“As our network has evolved and grown over the years, vans from Mercedes-Benz – including the Sprinter and, now the eSprinter – have been there to meet our needs and help us deliver the reliable and superior service that our customers expect,” Pat Donlon, vice president of global vehicles at FedEx, said in the release.

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CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Parking in downtown Charleston can be a challenge, and it’s something hospitality workers deal with daily as they commute to work.

The City of Charleston has now opened an application to get free parking permits for hospitality staff. The Hospitality Worker Parking Pilot Program is designed to alleviate some of that parking stress for people who work at bars, restaurants and hotels downtown.

“Right now, it’s a free-for-all; everybody just kind of goes and parks. They park in neighborhoods, at meters, and they probably end up getting tickets and stuff. It’s just a no-win situation for hospitality workers downtown,” Owner of El Jefe Texan Cantina, Roy Neal, said.

City of Charleston Director of Communications Deja McMillan said the applications rolled in so quickly in the first few hours of launching, the city may hit its cutoff in the first 24 hours of them being open.

Those who get the permits would be able to park at Union Pier Lot B. Neal said he’s hoping he’ll get some permits for his staff. He said parking is often a challenge for hospitality workers, leaving them having to walk a long distance and plug the meters.

The program provides access to 70 designated spaces on Concord Street. While the permit cost is $15, parking in the lot is free for all approved permit holders. During the pilot program, on a first-come, first-served basis, hospitality businesses can request five permits that can be shared among staff members.

“We’ve had a ton of interest in this hospitality pilot parking program, and we are testing out some things to see if we can expand upon this in the future. We know how hard it is for our hospitality workers to find parking,” McMillan said.

“We’re going to be applying so that some of our staff can have the ability to have some free parking. I think it’s a great idea. Even though the parking is a little far away from King Street, it’s not just hospitality workers on King Street, it’s hospitality workers everywhere, so it’s centrally located, which is a great idea,” Neal said.

Hospitality workers will be able to hop on a bus for free through the Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority’s Hospitality On Peninsula program and be transported throughout the peninsula.

The plan is for applications to be open through June 1, but with spaces filling quickly, McMillan said they may need to close the application early. The city plans to get feedback from businesses during the pilot program and potentially expand the number of spaces available in the future.

To learn more about the program or apply, head to the City of Charleston website.

Several downtown parking garages currently offer discounted evening rates:

Copyright 2025 WCSC. All rights reserved.

Extensive planning for REAL ID enforcement across South Carolina's airports paid off May 7 as the first day went "smoothly," according to state Transportation Security Administration Director David McMahon.

The TSA leader said majority of those without REAL IDs had their passports in hand and continued on through the usual screening process.

Across the state's six airports May 7, less than 3 percent of flyers had non-compliant REAL IDs and required additional screening. At Charleston International specifically, that number was around 1 percent, which McMahon views as a successful starting point.

"We are seeing more passports presented for identification than I have seen in all my 23 years with TSA," McMahon said. "It was a welcomed surprise for our officers and the passengers have arrived to our airports prepared for the REAL ID implementation."

Traveler Sarah Rossi sat at the Charleston airport waiting for her ride. The New York visitor doesn't have a REAL ID yet, since she's getting married soon and wants to wait until she's legally changed her name.

"I used my passport at the security checkpoint as my form of identification and had no issues," Rossi said. "It was a lot easier than I expected."

All South Carolina airports had additional staff in place to help divert those without REAL IDs into a separate line for screening at the security checkpoint. Most airports conducted a soft enforcement May 6 to prepare for the hard deadline.

Whether traveling to or from the Palmetto State, a passenger's driver's license must have a star in the upper right corner, which denotes it's a REAL ID. A valid passport or REAL ID is now required to board a domestic flight, enter a secure federal building or visit a military installation. All travelers require a REAL ID-compliant form of identification, regardless of their TSA Pre Check and Global Entry status.

Midweek travel is typically the lowest of the week, which McMahon said allowed officers to ease into the new routine. TSA has been warning that travelers who undergo the extra screening will be sent on their way, but the delay could cause them to miss their flights.

McMahon cautions there may be an increase in non-compliant travelers as tourism season ramps up and schools are out for the summer.

"CHS continues to experience higher than normal passengers on Sundays and Mondays, so that will be our first true test to the implementation of REAL ID," McMahon said. "TSA officers across the state stand ready to provide first class security coupled with some good ol' Southern hospitality."

Nashville locals Jacob Murray and Taylor Humphrey were traveling together for work May 7. Murray had his REAL ID, but Humphrey used a passport. Both described their travels as "pretty smooth," despite Humphrey not having a REAL ID.

"I got my REAL ID when I renewed my license in Tennessee," Murray said. "It took longer than I thought it would to get an appointment, but I'm glad I have it."

Some states require appointments for REAL IDs, but South Carolina does not. South Carolina residents can apply for REAL IDs at all Department of Motor Vehicle offices across the state. Proof of identity and residence are required when applying.

Signs and posters throughout Charleston International Airport reminding passengers of the REAL ID deadline and had QR codes that linked to more information, including one that read: "Consider this a sign (again) to be REAL ID ready."

Reach Megan Fernandes at mfernandes@postandcourier.com.