What is Stormwater?

Stormwater runoff occurs when precipitation from rain or snowmelt flows over the ground. Impervious surfaces like driveways, sidewalks, and streets prevent stormwater from naturally soaking into the ground.

In November 2002, the Board of the Department of Health and Environmental Control appointed the 19 members of the Council on Coastal Futures as an ad hoc advisory committee. The Board charged the council with documenting priority issues and concerns and recommending actions, programs and measures to improve the effectiveness of the South Carolina Coastal Zone Management Program. 

In 1986, a Blue Ribbon Panel was convened by the former South Carolina Coastal Council (now SCDES-BCM) to address what was considered a "crisis" situation involving our beaches.

Most beaches in South Carolina go through a yearly cycle of profile change. In the summer, smaller waves tend to push sand up the beach, forming a wider berm and a steeper beach slope below mean high water. In the winter, higher energy waves erode sand from the berm and move it to an offshore bar, resulting in a narrower high-tide beach and a more gently sloping beach below mean high water.

Safe Yield Workgroup

During the Spring and Summer of 2020, the Surface Water Withdrawal Permitting program hosted a series of stakeholder meetings to assess the state of the safe yield calculation and explore the possibility of better methods to be used when determining safe yield for rivers and streams. The final summary report and Department conclusion of this stakeholder process is available below:

Final Summary: Safe Yield Workgroup Report

Overview 

DHEC has been directed to develop regulations and guidance on Surface Water Quantity Withdrawals. After a 10 year review of the Surface Water Withdrawal, Permitting, Use and Reporting Act [49-4-10] and Regulation 61-119, DHEC issued a Notice of Drafting on August 27, 2021 and invited a diverse group of stakeholders to provide information and recommendations on these issues. The activities and recommendations of the surface water workgroup will be published to the public and reported to the legislature upon the end of the review.

SCDES has licensed operators assisting with technical issues related to private wells, small water systems, and community wastewater systems. Private wells, like septic systems, are the homeowner's responsibility. Septic tank information can be found here.

Partnerships

The Office of Rural Water partners with many statewide organizations and agencies along with other internal SCDES divisions to provide assistance to small and underserved communities. Below are some of the partnerships.

Community Development Block Grant

The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program is a federal resource that strives to build stronger and more resilient communities.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) suggest some projects include but are not limited to:

• Infrastructure
• Economic development
• Public facilities installation
• Government assisted housing rehabilitation

Contact

For information regarding this program, see your local Council of Government (COG).