Witness: How Seneca tried for a new deal with Pioneer

Bob Faires, the 16-year manager of Seneca water, testified this morning for the plaintiffs’ side in the case with Pioneer Rural Water.  And Faires explained how he had met with Terry Pruitt, the Pioneer manager, in attempt to save his city’s wholesale supply deal with Pioneer by drawing up a new contract which included a limit of 1% increase a year in the sale of water to Pioneer.  Faires admitted, however, that the 1% was subject to being raised if, for example, the chemical cost to treat raw water increased.  This morning Faires gave a history of providing water to Pioneer. Today that wholesale arrangement reflects 5% of water sold by Seneca but 60% of the supply that Pioneer retails to its customers in Oconee and Anderson counties.  Faires was also asked about the timeline in which Seneca first learned about Pioneer’s intent to build its own treatment plant and when Pioneer awarded a contract to build the plant near the Golden Corner Commerce Park.  He gave a 2009-2010 timeline for when he started “real discussions” about a new contract with Pioneer and said it was only January this year when Seneca learned that Pioneer had awarded a treatment plant contract.  By building its own plant, Pioneer will no longer need both Seneca and Westminster for the water it retails and the cities, along with Oconee County and the Joint Regional Sewer Authority, a Pioneer retail customer, are challenging it.