Flooding fix: Alljoy residents to save $20K for sewer after years of septic issues
In a neighborhood plagued by persistent flooding issues, years of advocacy has granted the Alljoy neighborhood some wins.
As part of a larger effort to bring sewer to underserved areas, the Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Authority has begun the planning process to install sewer in a neighborhood known for septic issues.
The low-lying, working-class community along the May River have long raised concerns about the persistent drainage issues the area experiences following heavy rains. Heavy precipitation can often overwhelm septic systems, causing sewage to leak out into the street and prevent people from flushing their toilets.
Septic systems are at risk along the South Carolina coast as rain events and rising sea levels push groundwater further towards the surface. These processes dampen the drain field that needs to remain largely dry in order to effectively treat sewage and wastewater from homes that aren’t hooked up to public sewer systems. Alljoy sits along the May River, which has seen harmful bacteria levels rise alongside development in the watershed.
“When we get certain rains … it’s like a river going to the river, it’s completely black.” Jerry Parker, an Alljoy resident, said. “So I know that’s sewer water.”
Typically when new customers connect to the BJWSA system they need to pay a significant “capacity fee,” which is typically $9,000 per house. If residents in the Alljoy project area agree to connect to the system before August 1, BJWSA will waive those fees and decommission the septic tank for no charge, according to Jeff La Rue, chief communications officer for BJWSA. He estimates that this process would in total save new customers around $20,000. That total includes decommissioning the septic tank, installing the sewer line and waving the fee.
A history of frustration
Historically, community members have been frustrated by investments into infrastructure they feel don’t address what they see is the more immediate need for better stormwater infrastructure and solutions to their failing septic systems. An effort to clear out stormwater ditches last summer came just in time for Tropical Storm Debby, which hit the region shortly after, Laura Wilson, an Alljoy resident, said. While much of the neighborhood was still covered with floodwater, residents say the newly maintained ditches allowed the water to dissipate faster than the past.
Wilson said that the cleared ditches did alleviate some of the issues with septic in the area. Still, many residents find it difficult and expensive to maintain their septic systems in the low-lying neighborhood.
Septic to sewer
Following years of resident advocacy, the dominos are finally falling into place for sewer in Alljoy. It will be a long journey. Michael Hansen, the BJWSA director of engineering, said the effort to connect the neighborhood to sewer is a daunting one, it will ultimately cost around $80 million to connect around 900 homes to sewer.
“So we are just taking bites of the elephant,” Hansen said, alluding to the old story about taking many small steps rather than one large leap forward.
The first phase of the 10 part project will connect around 100 homes closest to the river to sewer by the end of 2026, Hansen said. BJWSA, Beaufort County and a grant from the State Rural Infrastructure Authority will fund the $7.1 million dollar project.
The effort to bring sewer to Alljoy came when residents organized a meeting with BJWSA and the authority was working to identify underserved areas that would benefit from transiting to sewer from septic systems, Hansen said.
For residents, the meeting was a “breath of fresh air,” Kathy Ann Coburn, said. After years of struggling with her septic system, her home is included in the first phase to switch to sewer.
This story was originally published June 20, 2025 at 1:21 PM.
