34 www. ReadMPM. com | www.MountPl easantMagaz i ne. com | www.MountPl easantPodcas t . com the renovation, he recalled. The most cost-effective decision for the community, and for safety and liability purposes, would be removal. But MP Waterworks didn’t want to just scrap the tower. They hoped to find a more meaningful use for it. A PARTNERSHIP FORMS Clum contacted South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Artificial Reef Coordinator Bob Martore about the possibility of using the tower in an artificial reef, which would align with MP Waterworks’ mission of protecting the environment by providing habitat for fish, as well as creating recreational diving and fishing opportunities. Martore, who has worked on many similar projects, said that at the time of Clum’s call he was working with the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) on constructing an artificial reef from a barge and the prospect of supplementing the barge with additional structures. The water tower would be a welcome addition. This fortuitous timing spawned a collaborative reef partnership among CCA, SCDNR, MP Waterworks feature MP Waterwor ks Genera l Manager Cl um poses wi th a pos ter board i l l us t rat i ng the conver s i on of the former water tower to an ar t i f i c i a l ree f . The pro j ec t won a nat i ona l env i ronmenta l award. A SCDNR map of ar t i f i c i a l ree f s i tes of f the South Caro l i na coas t . The Old Vi l l age water tower was di smant led for the ar t i f i c i a l reef projec t in Jul y 2021 .
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjcyNTM1