1. South Carolina Groundwater Management Issues, Challenges, and Successes
Director Rob Devlin

2. Contents Hydrogeologic Framework & Climate
History of Groundwater Management
Changing Water Issues
Challenges of Water Management
Program Successes

3. Hydrogeologic Framework & Climate

5. Hydrogeologic Framework of SC
4 primary aquifers utilized throughout the Coastal Plain:
Floridan Aquifer
Gordon Aquifer
Crouch Branch Aquifer
McQueen Branch Aquifer

6. Atlantic Coastal Plain Aquifer System
Extends from eastern Georgia, through North and South Carolina and into southern Virginia
Covers 22,500mi2 in South Carolina
Permeable composition and high precipitation= large quantities of high-quality groundwater
Groundwater availability is generally good
Average loss per year from the system: 45,000 acre-feet per year
Most groundwater withdrawals from public water supply, and industry
Composed of surficial and confined aquifers

7. Climate
South Carolina is classified as a humid, subtropical environment
Summer temperatures average 90 degrees
Winter temperatures average 55 degrees
Precipitation averages between 40 and 60 inches per year

8. History of Groundwater Management

9. Water Quantity Programs
Capacity Use Program
Since the 1970s
Issue permits in designated areas of the Coastal Plain using >3 million gallons per month
Surface Water Withdrawal Permitting
Since June 2012
Issue permits statewide if using >3 million gallons per month
Water Use Reporting
All registered and permitted groundwater and surface water withdrawers report their annual water use to the department
Data is compiled and water use reports are produced
Water use reports are available on our website for public use

10. Groundwater Use and Reporting Act
Title 49 Chapter 5 South Carolina Code of Laws The groundwater resources of the State be put to beneficial use to the fullest extent to which they are capable, subject to reasonable regulation in order to conserve and protect these resources, prevent waste, and to provide and maintain conditions which are conducive to the development and use of water resources.

11. Groundwater Use and Reporting Act
Requires those withdrawing >3 million gallons per month to register and report water use annually
Capacity Use Areas are established where excessive groundwater withdrawals present potentially adverse effects
Groundwater Management Plans are established in each Capacity Use Area to guide groundwater management

12. Capacity Use Area Declaration
Timeline
Waccamaw - June 22, 1979
includes Georgetown, Horry Counties
Lowcountry - July 24, 1981
includes Beaufort, Colleton and Jasper Counties; Hampton County was added on June 10, 2008
Trident – August 8, 2002
includes Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester Counties
Pee Dee – February 12, 2004
includes Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Marion, Marlboro, and Williamsburg Counties

14. Map from a 2001 report by the Department of Natural Resources showing major cones of depression. Major improvements in Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head.

15. Groundwater Permitting
Goal is to maximize the use of the resource while preventing harm to aquifer or other users
Reasonable use (e.g. how much water for a particular crop)
Permits are issued on a 5 year cycle
Groundwater Evaluations are released the year prior to repermitting for stakeholder involvement

16. Changing Water Issues

17. Population
Since the 2010 Census, South Carolina has grown by 8.6%, with approximately 400,000 more people.
In 2017 the population exceeded 5 million, with an estimated population of 5,024,369.
Population is expected to grow to 6 million by 2030.

18. Increasing Agricultural Production
Over 24,000 agricultural operations in SC, covering 5,000,000 acres of land
There has been a 79% increase in agricultural production since 2002
Majority of agricultural operations are in the inner coastal plain, near aquifer catchment areas

20. Beginning in the late 1990s South Carolina has experienced repetitive dry period and Drought that have increased pressure ion the state water resource

21. Droughts
South Carolina is usually hot, humid and wet for much of spring, summer and winter
Since 1998, winters have become more “Western” style, in that they are drier effecting recharge
There have been 2 major droughts in the past 20 years, , and
Droughts, along with population increase, have decreased the static water-level in wells across the state

22. Challenges of Water Management

23. Public Perception
Residents are generally scared in regards to water supply, largely from media frenzy
Public typically finds use of groundwater acceptable only for public water supply
The conjunctive use of Groundwater and Surface Water is highly controversial

24. Balancing Conjunctive Use & Public Perception
In some areas of the state, use of groundwater may be better than surface water, and vice-versa
Difficult to educate the public on conjunctive use
Views are generally all or nothing
Hydrology is a challenging subject to teach to general public

25. Resources for Water-Monitoring
Most water-level monitoring is done by SCDNR
Require more staff to perform regular water-use checks & to enforce water limits
Driving force of future Department water management goals

27. Looking forward to process to start
Lots of discussion on safe yield (Stakeholder group)
Clemson Graphic

28. More Proactive, Less Reactive
In the past, the Department mostly responded to crises once they arose
Goal: manage water resources more aggressively
Challenge: public
On one hand the public doesn’t think enough is being done
On another, the public finds too much interference when action is taken
How to balance?
Have to operate by regulation

29. Program Successes

30. Benefits of Capacity Use Areas
Investigate complaints of shallow (home) wells being impacted
Can locate new wells in areas that will support their water needs
provides more certainty for economic development
Includes best management practices, conservation, efficiency, in permit
Proactive measures to have sustainable resources, minimize risk of dramatic reductions to solve problems later

31. Trident Capacity Use Area
Successes:
Comparing SC DNR’s 2001 potentiometric map to the potentiometric map, areas like Kiawah Island, Charleston County, and Moncks Corner, Berkeley County, water levels have rebounded by more than 50 feet.
Zones of concern in the tri-county area have shrunk to localized pockets, instead of region-wide deficits.

32. Waccamaw Capacity Use Area
Successes:
Comparing SC DNR’s 2001 potentiometric map to the potentiometric map, Myrtle Beach, Horry County, has seen a water- level increase of over 50 feet, and throughout Georgetown County there has been a 75 feet increase in water levels.
There is now only one small pocket of area at or below mean average sea level in the entire capacity use region.
Increased water levels are attributed to a combination of our permitting strategy, raised awareness about water conservation, and use of alternative water sources.

33. Collaboration
Work closely with both SCDNR and USGS on groundwater and surface water issues
Modeling
Permitting
Monitoring
Water Demand Forecasting

34. Robert Devlin, Director Water Monitoring, Assessment and Protection Divison (803)