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piers should
increase safety
The Lake Waccamaw Town Council will examine proposed rules this week that should increase the safety of piers at the lake.
The state has issued guidelines for the inspection of piers, an action which stems from the electrocution of a boy at Lake Waccamaw in 2004. The boy was in the water at a pier that had electrical problems.
The town will be required to inspect piers twice a year. The new rules will ensure that new piers are built safely and that existing ones, some of which have been in the water for decades, aren’t a threat to life. Most piers have either lights or electric boat lifts, so the opportunity for a tragedy will always exist since water and electricity can be a deadly mix.
The inspections will come at a cost to pier owners, but with so much potential for disaster, the peace of mind should be well worth it.