Site Inspections
General Process, After you apply for a permit to install a septic tank for a new home: A DES inspector will visit your property to determine whether the land is suitable for a septic tank by looking at: Soil type - only certain types work well for septic systems Slope of the lot to see whether a septic tank can work and how the system must be built The number of bedrooms in the proposed house plan, used to…, Soil: Most Important Factor, Septic tank site inspector collects a soil sample Our inspector will take a minimum of two soil samples (borings) in the area where the septic system will most likely be located. We classify the soil by its characteristics: Color shows how high the water table gets at the wettest time of year (this is visible regardless of the month). We match your soil to a soil color chip in our field book.…, Drainfield Size, Septic tank site inspector evaluates a drainfield Another problem we sometimes see is that there simply is not enough suitable land to build an adequately sized septic tank and drainfield on a particular lot. We use this standard formula to calculate the size of the drainfield needed: The average South Carolinian generates about 60 gallons of wastewater daily (which includes showers, toilet…, Never Underestimate Number of Occupants, When applying for a permit to construct a septic tank, never underestimate or misrepresent the number of bedrooms or intended occupants. If you do, you are setting your septic system up for failure and yourself up for major expenses in the future.Planning, Outreach & Engagement
Coastal Planning Assistance, BCM Staff Member standing in front of presentation Coastal Services staff provide short- and long-term planning assistance and support coastal planning initiatives at the state and local level. SCDES BCM planning staff work with partners on a variety of issues including coastal adaptation, hazard mitigation, marsh management, resilience, and other comprehensive planning efforts. Staff assist…, Local Comprehensive Beachfront Management Plans, , or LCBMPs, which are an important and effective management tool for local governments., Hurricane Preparedness and Recovery, planning, another priority focus area, includes maintenance of SCDES BCM’s Emergency Operations Plan. , Public Outreach, Education, and Product Development, The Coastal Services team specializes in development of public outreach and education products and initiatives. These efforts include hosting SCDES BCM’s , Coastal Photography Contest, and development of annual , tide tables, . Other initiatives include South Carolina’s , Keep off the Dunes Program, , a collaborative effort between SCDES BCM, local municipalities, and other partners to enhance public awareness of sensitive dune environments. The , SC Adopt-a-Beach Program, , associated with SCDES BCM’s , Marine Debris Initiative, , is a volunteer-based cleanup program established in state statute to promote safe and clean litter-free beaches. Coastal Services staff regularly highlight these outreach products and initiatives, as well as , applications and tools, developed by the team, at public and partner meetings and at local and regional conferences. , BCM Educational Trainings, SCDES BCM has been involved in the development and offering of coastal educational training with a variety of partners over the years. The , SC Living Shorelines training course, , released in 2024, highlights the benefits of living shorelines in South Carolina’s estuarine environment and teaches participants about living shoreline regulations and permitting, site assessments, installation materials and methods, and evaluating the performance of living shoreline installations. , SC Tidelands, Water, and Beach: Regulations and Rebuilding, , part of the Real Estate Professional Continuing Education Courses developed under the Calling the Coast Home Series, is one of four two-hour continuing education elective courses to provide Realtors® with information about coastal issues and topics. , Stakeholder Engagement, Coastal Services staff support SCDES BCM stakeholder engagement efforts including workgroup planning, coordination, and facilitation. The goal of these engagement efforts is to gather input and diverse perspectives from stakeholders on a variety of topics. Explore past stakeholder workgroup efforts in the section below. Coastal Services staff also participate in partner and inter-agency…, SC Coastal Information Network, and the , Southeast and Caribbean Disaster Resilience Partnership, . Past Stakeholder WorkgroupsBrownfields Success Stories
Contractor Licensing Fees
ePermitting Electronic Applications, Contractor, Fee: $100.00/per license, Issued to companies/individuals who will perform asbestos abatement projects. To obtain this license, a company representative must possess a valid SCDES supervisor license affiliated with that company., The license is valid for one year from the date the license is processed, providing that a valid supervisor license is maintained., general Licensing Information All contractors, facilities, supervisors, workers, air samplers, project designers, building inspectors, and management planners involved in either the inspection, design, air monitoring, in-place management, removal, cleanup, or other handling of regulated asbestos-containing materials must be licensed by SCDES in a discipline specific to their activity. All…, Asbestos Abatement License Forms, ePermitting - Electronic Application Portal for, ALL, License Applications **Please note that if you are renewing a license please contact 803-898-4289 to be granted access to existing records. Asbestos Abatement License Application - for obtaining personnel and contractor licensing for disciplines described below. Please make checks or money orders payable to SCDES. Application Form for Asbestos Group License - for obtaining Industrial Group…, Air Sampler, Fee: $100.00/per license, Issued to individuals who will implement air monitoring plans and analysis schemes during abatement. This person is often assigned the duty of acting as the building owner's representative. Submit documentation of valid, current SCDES training, and must have an approved Asbestos Abatement Supervisor course or Project Monitor course and NIOSH 582 - Airborne Asbestos Sampling & Evaluation or…, Consultant/Building Inspector, Fee: $100.00/per license, Issued to individuals who will examine a facility for the presence of asbestos-containing material (ACM), to identify and assess the condition of the material, and to collect bulk samples. Submit documentation of valid, current training of a SCDES approved Building Inspector course., Consultant/Management Planner, Fee: $100.00/per license, Issued to individuals who will interpret inspection reports, conduct hazard assessments of ACM, determine appropriate response actions, develop a schedule for implementing response actions, and prepare written management plans., Individuals possessing a valid management planner license are also authorized to perform the duties of a building inspector., Submit documentation of valid, current training of a SCDES approved Building Inspector course as well as documentation of valid, current training of a SCDES approved Management Planner course., The Building Inspector course is a, prerequisite, for receiving training as a management planner, ., Consultant/Project Designer, Fee: $100.00/per license, Issued to individuals who will plan all phases of an asbestos abatement project design from project site preparation through complete disassembly of all abatement area barriers. Submit documentation of valid, current training of a SCDES approved Project Designer course., Supervisor (AHERA), Fee: $50.00/per license, Issued to individuals who will provide direct on-site supervision and guidance to workers engaged in abatement of regulated ACM (RACM). Obtaining this license also authorizes an individual to perform any duties of a Worker. Submit documentation of valid, current training of a SCDES approved Supervision of Asbestos Abatement Projects course., Worker (AHERA), Fee: $10.00/per license, Issued to individuals who will perform asbestos abatement under the direct guidance of an accredited and licensed supervisor. Submit documentation of valid, current training of a SCDES approved (AHERA) Worker course., Group, Fee per discipline as follows: , Up to 10 people $25.00 minimum fee, 11 to 20 people $25.00 plus $2.50 per additional person above 10, 21 to 50 people $25.00 plus $5.00 per additional person above 20, 51 to 90 people $25.00 plus $7.50 per additional person above 50, 91 persons or more $25.00 plus $500.00 maximum fee, Issued to industrial manufacturing and electrical generating facilities and allows facility employees and long-term in-house contractors to perform abatement at the license holder's facility without having to obtain a separate license per employee per category Submit the number of people who will be licensed the name, SSN, discipline, training provider or approved instructor, and examination date…, Facility O & M, Fee: The same fee schedule as Group licenses, Issued to non-industrial facilities and allows facility employees to perform limited abatement at the license holder's facility without having to obtain a separate license per employee. Work performed under this license is restricted to the conditions under the O & M Worker license. Submit The number of people who will be licensed The name, SSN, O & M training provider or approved…, Contact, Asbestos Section (803) 898-4289Renovations and Demolitions
You Must Notify SCDES of Renovations & Demolitions, Prior to removing regulated asbestos-containing materials, an ePermitting application must be submitted to SCDES (up to 10 working days in advance, depending on the amount of asbestos to be removed). The notification must include certain required items of information about the owner, the contractor, the facility, and the asbestos removal project. Required fees must be submitted along with the…, at least 10 working days , in advance even if a building inspector determines that asbestos is not present at the facility. The notification must include certain required items of information about the owner, the contractor, the facility, and the demolition project. Required fees and a copy of the building inspector's report must be submitted along with the notification of demolition. You must obtain a permit from the…, Background Information, Renovation means altering a facility or one or more facility components in any way, including the stripping or removal of regulated asbestos-containing materials (RACM) from a facility component. "Remodeling" is considered renovation. Demolition is wrecking or taking out any load-supporting structural member of a facility together and any related handling operations. Structural burns are…, Renovation, Demolition & Asbestos: What Building Owners & Contractors Should Know, Renovación, Demolición, y Asbesto: Lo que los dueños de propiedades y los contratistas deben saber, Find a list of South Carolina landfills that accept asbestos, ., Permitted Solid Waste Management Facilities, Select Class II or III facilities from this list, view contact information under the attribute table Contact the SCDES Asbestos Section at , (803) 898-4289, ., Residential Demolitions, The demolition of a private residence containing four or fewer units (i.e., single-family home, duplex, etc.) is exempt unless the following conditions apply: The demolition is part of a larger commercial or public project, such as, but not limited to, highway construction; development of a shopping mall, industrial facility, other private development; or urban renewal, etc. The demolition…, (803) 898-4289, .Groundwater Capacity Use Areas - Pee Dee
Pee Dee Renewal Year, All permitted groundwater users in the Pee Dee Capacity Use Area are scheduled for renewal during the 2025 calendar year. All permitted facilities must submit a completed application before Tuesday, August 2nd, 2025. It is emphasized that all facilities maintain and submit a detailed Best Management Plan as is required in the Groundwater Use and Reporting Act and Regulations. Facilities may use…, Capacity Use Program: The Pee Dee, On February 12, 2004, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control Board, as established in Section 49-5-60, Capacity Use Designation, declared the whole of Darlington County, Dillon County, Florence County, Marion County, Marlboro County, and Williamsburg County as the Pee Dee Capacity Use Area., Initial Groundwater Management Plan, The plan for the Pee Dee will guide the initial groundwater management strategy and provide direction for future groundwater management goals by evaluating, as data become available, the hydrologic, environmental, social, and economic impacts of groundwater withdrawals at various rates on the long-term sustainable levels for the aquifers of the Pee Dee Area. Sustainable development meets the…, Coordinator Contact, C. Luke McDurmon 803-898-4220Asbestos
Asbestos Section , SCDES Asbestos Section issues asbestos permits for regulated renovation and demolition activities. The Asbestos Section also licenses individuals involved in either the inspection, design, air monitoring, in-place management, removal, cleanup or other handling of regulated asbestos-containing materials.How SCDES Measures Surface Water Quality
Water quality monitoring data helps us understand why certain conditions exist in a body of water and how that water's quality may be improved. SCDES monitors surface waters to: Characterize water quality at monitoring locations (, Watershed Atlas, ) See if they are meeting water quality standards (, R.61-68, ) Identify locations in need of extra attention (, 303(d) List, ) Determine long-term water quality trends Provide background data for permitting, modeling, planning, and evaluating stream classifications (, R.61-69, ) and standards (, R.61-68, ) Help formulate permit limits for wastewater discharges with the goal of maintaining State and Federal water quality standards and criteria in the receiving streams in accordance with the goals of the Federal, Clean Water Act, and, SC Pollution Control Act, ., Ambient Surface Water Monitoring, What Do We Measure and Why is it important? , State of South Carolina Monitoring Strategy, State of South Carolina Annual Monitoring Workplan 2026, SCDES ambient surface water monitoring parameters, Why are these parameters important? , “Ambient” refers to immediate surroundings, especially pertaining to the environment around something but undisturbed or unaffected by it, as in ambient water quality. The Ambient Surface Water Quality Monitoring Program coordinates a network of monitoring stations located across the State of South Carolina. In addition to physical parameters measured at each station, surface water samples are…, 305(b) Reports, ). Separate statistical survey monitoring schemes have been developed for streams and rivers, lakes and reservoirs, and estuarine resources to represent the entirety of each resource type. Each year a new set of approximately 30 statistical survey sites is selected for each waterbody type. For further information regarding Ambient Surface Water Quality Monitoring see the, State of South Carolina Monitoring Strategy, , or water quality monitoring data, contact, David Chestnut, at (803) 898-4066., Accessing SCDES Water Quality Data from the Water Quality Portal (WQP), The, Water Quality Portal, (WQP) is a cooperative service sponsored by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the National Water Quality Monitoring Council (NWQMC). The STORET Warehouse was decommissioned on June 29, 2018. WQX, the mechanism for publishing monitoring data, has remained unchanged and data continue to be available through the, Water Quality Portal, . SCDES's Organization Code for Ambient Surface Water Quality Physical and Chemical Monitoring data is 21SC60WQ_WQX. Water quality monitoring data can be selected for individual water quality monitoring sites, for all monitoring sites within a unique 8, 10, or 12-digit hydrologic (watershed) unit code (HUC), or all monitoring sites within entire counties. The first step in the process is to…, Watershed Atlas, . Using the unique 8, 10, or 12-digit HUC is an easy way to retrieve all of the physical and chemical water quality monitoring data within an entire watershed. Found in Nat’l Watershed Boundaries in the, Watershed Atlas, . Just click on the watershed of interest and copy the 8, 10, or 12-digit HUC from the pop-up box. In general leaving Sample Media, Characteristic Group, Characteristics, and Project ID set to “All“ is the easiest way to retrieve all of the data. It is relatively easy to edit the resulting Excel file if you are only interested in specific parameters and is the most reliable way to be sure you get…, Water Quality Portal User Guide, . , Regulatory Data and Quality Assurance Requirements, SCDES has developed a guidance document to help outside entities understand and meet the appropriate data quality requirements submitting water quality data to SCDES for use in regulatory decisions., Regulatory Data and Quality Assurance Requirements, The South Carolina Estuarine and Coastal Assessment Program (SCECAP), The South Carolina Estuarine and Coastal Assessment Program (SCECAP) is a collaborative coastal monitoring program between South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) and the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES). The goal of SCECAP is to monitor the condition of the state’s estuarine habitats and associated biological resources on an annual basis. This program…, SCECAP, website or contact, David Chestnut, at (803) 898-4066.Continuing Education Units for Septic System Installers
Pigeon Point Boat Landing - Critical Area Permit Application