SENECA — The Oconee County Sewer Commission/Joint Regional Sewer Authority is expecting feedback from a consultant Friday that could help decide whether the use of a sewer plant at the Highpointe of Clemson development is a feasible alternative in proceeding with the nearly $6 million Martin Creek sewer project.

Discussed for more than two years, the $5.8 million Martin Creek project was temporarily put on hold after sewer officials learned a month ago that the sewer plant at the former WestPoint Stevens property could be made available. Neal Workman, a partner in the Highpointe venture, confirmed to sewer officials last week that he would be open to negotiating the use of the excess capacity at the Highpointe development’s sewer plant.

Sewer Commission/Authority Director Bob Winchester said Wednesday that any decision would not happen overnight because there were several parties involved in making a decision. Winchester said he is sitting down Friday with Bob Froneberger of WK Dickson, the engineering firm working with sewer officials on the Martin Creek project.

The project includes the building of a 3-million gallon equalization tank, replacing an old pump station and other upgrades. Officials say the project is vital to opening up development along Wells Highway and the U.S. Highway 123 corridor between Clemson and Seneca.

“There’s some components in the Martin Creek project that we could use,” Winchester said. “The pump station design would be modified. Money spent so far would not be lost.”

Winchester said he sent Froneberger a 2005 engineering study on the feasibility of using the former WestPoint Stevens plant. The study was undertaken when the former textile giant filed for bankruptcy and county officials contemplated buying the plant.

Winchester said the study concluded that it was highly feasible for Martin Creek sewage to be pumped to the WestPoint plant for treatment and service the area around the county airport as well.

The state Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) issued developers a permit to treat more than 950,000 gallons of wastewater a day at the WestPoint Plant, which is much more capacity that the development would ever need. Furthermore, Workman said DHEC gave written permission to expand capacity at the plant to 3-million gallons a day.

At its August meeting, the Sewer Commission/Authority voted to put on hold the Martin Creek project for a month. Winchester said it would be up to Commission/Authority members to decide whether to continue to keep the project on hold when they meet again Sept 8.

Workman indicated last week he and his partners would like to have the sewer plant to his development located off site so it could open up more lakefront property. He said he’d like that to happen within two years.