Lamar closes second well due to radium
By Samantha Lyles, Staff Writer, slyles@newsandpress.net
The Town of Lamar held its monthly council meeting March 14, and council member Mike Lloyd revealed that the town has closed a second well after trace amounts of radium were detected by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC). The town closed its #1 well last year for this same reason, and the closing of the #2 well leaves Lamar without an internally generated water source.
“We have shut our water system down and we are purchasing from Darlington County (Water and Sewer Authority) since about the middle of last month,” said Lloyd.
Radium is a naturally occurring radioactive alkaline earth metal, usually found in soil and seawater in trace amounts due to the decay of thorium or uranium isotopes. The amounts found in Lamar’s well water were very small, but town officials are hoping to drill another well – this one away from the trouble spots they’ve encountered with the western spur of the Middendorf Aquifer.
Lloyd said the town is applying for grants and loans to help finance the establishment of a new well on the eastern edge of town. Thus far, Lamar has applied for a Rural Infrastructure Association grant of $500,000, and an SRF (State Revolving Fund) grant of $800,000. Even if the town receives full funding from these requests, Lamar will still be on the hook for a substantial loan.
“That would leave us maybe having to borrow $200,000 to fund this project,” said Lloyd.
Also at this meeting, Norm Steadman of the Greater Darlington Chamber of Commerce spoke about upcoming events in the county, including Administrative Professional’s Day on April 27, a golf tournament on May 13 and encouraged Lamar vendors to take part in the July 4 “Freedom Fest” at the Darlington Raceway.
Steadman asked council to contact him at the chamber about events of local interest to better incorporate Lamar into the county’s business community.
“I want to meet people and be a part of things, especially in places like Lamar and Society Hill,” said Steadman.
More information on these and other events can be found online at www.facebook.com/darlingtonchamber
Lamar Chief of Police Charles Woodle said that three of the town’s patrol cars are now equipped with new digital video systems. Woodle also said Lamar officers recovered a $6,000 grill that was stolen the previous week.
