CZC Review of Stormwater Sources

State permits within the eight coastal counties will require a request for certification from the SCDES BCM Coastal Zone Consistency Section through the regulatory platform, ePermitting.  These requests can be submitted to SCDES BCM using the BCM State Coastal Zone Consistency Certification Request form.  

Incoming CZC Certification Requests will undergo an administrative review for completeness to ensure the Department has the information and documentation necessary to place the project on a 10-day public notice and assign to a CZC PM for their review of consistency with the enforceable policies and certification.   

To ensure the fastest review of a CZC Certification Request please be aware of all of the following that will be required on the BCM State Coastal Zone Consistency Certification Request form. Please note the exclusion of any of these documents may delay the review of the CZC Certification Request. 

Project Details  

The Coastal Zone Consistency Section will need to know: 

Whether the project is receiving capital improvement funding and the source of that funding, if applicable.  

The type of permit being requested. 

A general statement of project details, which should include: 

  • Overall purpose of work (residential, commercial, industrial, etc.) 
  • Details pertaining to the type of activity and final project  
  • Number of homes/buildings 
  • Roads/parking 
  • Stormwater quality/quantity treatment (existing or proposed wet/dry pond, underground detention, water quality unit (make/model), low impact development, etc.) 
  • Total disturbed area 
  • Total project acreage (for modifications – change in acreage 
  • Acreage totals for on-site wetland impacts  

The activity type (Residential, Transportation, Coastal Industries, Commercial, Recreational, Marine, Dredging, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, Public Services and Facilities, Erosion Control – Beaches and Shoreline, Energy, Activities in Areas of Special Resource, Significance, Stormwater Management – Land Disturbance, Beach and Shoreline Access, or a description of another activity) 

Full construction site plan documents to include: 

  • Title and legend sheets
  • Pre-existing condition, sediment erosion control, and post development condition sheets 
  • Wetlands portrayed per delineation 
  • Wetland impacts shown and referenced 
  • Ponds labeled wet or dry 
  • Limits of disturbance clearly shown 
  • Master plan sheet for large developments 
  • Stormwater Quality and Quantity Treatment  

Location map document to include: 

  • Accurate portrayal of the Site within the larger community (major intersections, landmarks, etc.). 

Digital Boundary Document of Receipt 

  • A digital boundary shall be submitted to OCRMDIGBOUND@des.sc.gov, reflecting the Project/Site Name and should reflect the limits of disturbance.
  • Information for how to prepare their AutoCAD and Shapefiles for submission can be found in on our digital boundaries page.  

Receiving Water Body Information  

The Coastal Zone Consistency Section will need to know: 

The nearest outfall name/number  

The nearest and next nearest receiving waterbodies to which the site’s stormwater discharges will drain. If stormwater discharges drain to multiple waterbodies, a list of all such waterbodies will be required. 

The name of the Coastal Receiving Water (CRW) to which the site’s stormwater discharges will drain and the distance from the boundary of the Site to the CRW. This distance is used to determine permitting requirements.  

Coastal Receiving Water is defined in the Policies and Procedures of the South Carolina Coastal Zone Management Program, updated July 1995. This includes all regularly tidally influenced salt and fresh water marsh areas, all lakes or ponds which are used primarily for public recreation or a public drinking water supply, and other water bodies within the coastal zone, excluding wetlands, swamps, ditches and stormwater management ponds which are not contiguous via an outfall or similar structure with a tidal water body.   

A Stormwater Runoff Flow Path Exhibit will be required. Please use this resource to create this exhibit. 

A Shellfish Runoff Flow Path Exhibit will be required in areas where shellfish are present within 1000 feet. Please use this resource to create this exhibit. 

 
Guidance for receiving waterbody/ CRW 

Currently, staff utilize datasets that are available to include USGS topo maps (Blue Line), USGS stream data, and aerials in GIS to identify if an area has clear and continuous connection from a stream or tributary out to the ocean. Where a continuous connection cannot be made at the closest waterbody (typically this is the result of the smaller tributary or stream entering a larger wetland feature on the landscape and losing its main channel and becomes free flowing meeting the wetland/swamp exclusion), then the measurements would begin at the next closest waterbody that meets the requirements stated above. Where the confusion comes in is if a waterbody is mapped with the name including "swamp" such as Ion Swamp that also contains a mapped stream feature. Additionally, the other waterbody does not need to be tidal to be the CRW. Lastly, a ditch is exempt, unless it is tidal, and/or has a blue line data, of which classifies as other waterbody and it is a stream/canal and potentially the CRW.  

 

Specific Stormwater Permit Information  

CZC will additionally require the following information for stormwater permits:  

Whether the site is part of a Larger Common Plan (LCP) of Development.  If the site is part of a Larger Common Plan, the following will be required:  

  • Development/LCP Name, whether the LCP is in the first phase of development, any previous permit number(s), and any previous CZC Number(s) 

Whether the site or its LCP has an active State SCDES or USEPA Warning Notice, Notice to Comply, or Notice of Violations.  

The disturbed area and total area of the project.  

If the disturbed area is less than one (1) acre and the site is NOT a part of a Larger Common Plan, the project may qualify for autocoverage under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Construction General Permit. A small projects submission to Coastal Stormwater is not necessary, unless specifically requested by the Department.  

The NPDES Submission Reference Number will be REQUIRED if the disturbed area is greater than one (1) acre or if the project is a part of a Larger Common Plan.   

A copy of the Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP), if applicable.

 
Specific Individual Lot(s) Stormwater Permit Information 

If the Stormwater Permit is for an individual lot or lots, the lot number(s), phase number(s), and each lot’s disturbed area will be required.  

Additionally, a descriptive narrative will be required. The descriptive narrative should contain acreage of total disturbance, infrastructure, utilities, stormwater management, wetlands located on site, and impacts to wetlands.  

 
Specific Underground and Above Ground Storage Tank Permit Information  

Whether the project will require installation of underground storage tanks. If the project requires the installation of underground storage tanks, the Department will need to know whether the project will be for a new underground storage tank (UST) or the replacement of an existing UST AND the total number of underground storage tanks, including the size of each tank (in gallons) and the number of tanks (by size). 

Whether the project will require installation of above ground storage tanks. 

A PDF copy of the Application for Permit to Install. 

 
Helpful Hints/ Additional Information 

If you are applying for a gas station, please attach your UST application. When the CZC certification is complete, we will send it to the appropriate permitting agency. 

If this is an existing gas station, it will be processed as a general CZC, at the Department’s discretion. 

 
Specific Wastewater/ Water Supply Information   

Whether the project will require installation of water supply main and if so, approximate details and dimensions for the proposed water main.  

Whether the project will require installation of wastewater/sewer main and if so, the approximate details and dimensions for the proposed wastewater/sewer main.  

A copy of the D-1970 Construction Permit Application Water/Wastewater Facilities  

A pdf copy of Wastewater/Water Supply Application.  

 
Helpful Hints/ Additional Information 

If you are applying for a new residential or commercial or industrial project, please attach your water/wastewater application. When the CZC certification is complete, we will send it to the appropriate permitting agency. 

 
Applicant Details  

Information to include name, address, email, phone, organization  

 
Additional Contact Details   

(Project Coordinator, Authorized Agent, Engineer, Notification Recipient)  

Information to include name, address, email, phone, organization  

 
Site Details   

Required Site details include the Site Name (project name), names of the County/Counties where the project is proposed, all Tax Map Parcel information for the project, as well as the Site address(es). 

 
Waters of the U.S./State Information 

CZC will require information on any federally jurisdictional wetlands, federally non jurisdictional (isolated) wetlands, other waters, or direct critical area on the Site.  

If any of the before-mentioned aquatic resources are located within the Site boundary, CZC will need to know if they are delineated and/or identified and if there are impacts. If there are impacts, the amount of impacts, a description of each impact and activity, and a list of all permits (e.g., USACOE Nationwide Permit, SCDES General Permit) and certifications that have been applied for or obtained for each impact will be required.   

Copies of any site survey, delineation, permits, mitigation, and/or impact documents related to the aquatic resources will additionally be required.  

Learn more about Wetlands/aquatic resources and the required documents for a CZC review. 

 
Geographic Areas of Particular Concern  

CZC may require information on any Geographic Areas of Particular Concern located on the Site. 

Learn more about GAPCs. 

 
State Threatened and Endangered Species  

CZC will require information on any threatened and endangered species located on the Site, including whether an evaluation has been performed for any State listed threatened and endangered species and their habitats. If any State threatened and endangered species are located on the Site, coordination with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources will be required. All site evaluations and reports will be required to complete the CZC review, if applicable. 

Please see the State Threatened and Endangered Species page for additional information. 

 
Archaeological and Cultural Resources 

CZC will require information on any archaeological and cultural resources located on the Site, including whether an evaluation has been performed for any archaeological or cultural resources. If any State archeological or cultural resources are located on the Site, coordination with the South Carolina Historic Preservation will be required. All site evaluations, reports, and Memorandums of Agreement or Understanding will be required to complete the CZC review, if applicable. 

Please see the Archaeological and Cultural Resources page for additional information.