In 1970 a group of people from Flat Rock, Iva and Starr began selling water taps door-to-door for $75 each. Due to their persistence and hard work, Starr-Iva Water was incorporated just one year later, and in 1972 construction began on 60+ miles of waterlines, a 250,000-gallon storage tank, and a pumping station consisting of three 25 horsepower pumps. Starr-Iva Water Company began with 431 individual customers and also provided water to the Town of Iva.
Mr. Randy Pettigrew was hired in October of 1972 as the General Manager and was the foundation for the company for nearly 50 years. He worked alongside Harold A. Pickens & Son in laying the original waterlines for the system. Mr. Pettigrew also read meters, handwrote and collected bills, conducted repairs, and did whatever was necessary until an additional hire was made in 1979.
Today, Starr-Iva Water & Sewer District consists of 6 outstanding employees and serves over 4,200 customers. The infrastructure now includes 220 miles of waterline, an upgraded pump station, and an additional 1,500,000 gallons of elevated storage tanks. Patrick Jackson is the current General Manager and is always open to hearing from the public. He can be reached at pjackson@siwater.net and their website can be found at https://siwater.net/.