MORNING NEWSBREAK | The Charleston Water System has rejected a motion from Sullivan’s Island Town Council to pay a fraction of the $1 million that the utility claims it is owed for water service. A July 20 deadline looms that could turn off water for island residents.
The Charleston Water System threatened to shut off the water supply to Sullivan’s Island in an October 2023 letter when the town’s contract with the utility expires July 20, alleging the town owes more than $1 million in back charges. In response, the Sullivan’s Island town council held an executive session Monday to discuss the contract with the agency, alleging CWS is ignoring terms of its initial contract.
“That signed contract constitutes a valuable asset of the town and provides certainty regarding the rates that our residents pay for water,” said town councilman and Mayor Pro Tem Justin Novak. “Years ago, Charleston Water System decided to raise our rates as if our signed contract did not exist.”
The town council unanimously agreed to pay just over $227,000 to CWS, citing the total as the calculated number owed to the agency under the terms of the contract.
CWS CEO Mark Cline issued a statement Tuesday: “Charleston Water System does not agree with the Town of Sullivan’s Island’s viewpoint or its recollection of the historical facts. We fully intend to discontinue the town’s water service July 20 unless their past due amount is fully paid and they have entered into a new contract that appropriately covers the costs of providing water service to their community. It’s not fair that our other customers have been subsidizing the town’s service for years now, and that would continue under their terms.”
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