Viability Improvement Program

This technical assistance and infrastructure improvement program involves direct provision of services as well as the possibility of grant funding. The goal of this pilot program is to assist smaller utilities in strengthening long-term viability. This will be accomplished through a series of proactive technical assistance efforts to assess needs, develop a plan of action, and fund the most critical capital improvements. Read on to learn more.

If you have questions, please contact Robin Cooley at rcooley@ria.sc.gov or (803) 734-1410.

Eligible Applicants

Eligible candidates for assistance will be local governments, special purpose and public service districts, as well as public works commissions that are experiencing viability challenges, as outlined below. Non-profit water and sewer companies are not eligible for this pilot program. The applicant must own and maintain the facilities being assessed and, potentially, improved.

Program candidates include:

  • Public utilities with a service population of 10,000 or less
  • Municipalities with a service population of 10,000 or less
  • Utilities located in Tier III and IV counties regardless of service population

Eligible candidates must meet one of the criteria above AND reflect one or more of the following viability concerns:

  • Two or more regulatory compliance issues within a five-year period
  • Lack of certified financial statements or audits within the past three years
  • Estimated age of the majority of the utility system is greater than 40 years
  • Multiple socio-economic challenges which RIA will determine based on the most recently available census or American Community Survey data (e.g., population change/growth rate below the state average growth rate; Median Household Income below the state average; poverty rate above the state average; unemployment rate above the state average)

Program Description

The Viability Improvement Program is a progressive program of technical assistance and local implementation of identified solutions. Participating in this VIP offers resources to follow a 3-step pathway to viability – but completion of the full program is dependent on the utility’s ability to commit to and implement necessary changes. For this reason as well as availability of RIA funding, not all utilities selected for Step 1 will complete the remaining steps in the program.

Please download the Program Strategy linked to the right for full program details.