[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6346292,"mediaKeyId","2247142-60eb1c1b5a69b2d6d9b2a02ef27ac938","parentId",2247142,"title","Panel advances bill to bar forced hookup to public water or sewer; adds protection for private irrigation wells","audioSeconds",3369,"startMs",71000,"endMs",3440000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2247142-60eb1c1b5a69b2d6d9b2a02ef27ac938&start=71&end=3440","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2247142-60eb1c1b5a69b2d6d9b2a02ef27ac938/thumbnail_71000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6346292/South-Carolina/Panel-advances-bill-to-bar-forced-hookup-to-public-water-or-sewer-adds-protection-for-private-irrigation-wells","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6346292-e34fb0340097ad138c24a16d159671e6/orig.mp4?Expires=1773683231&Signature=S-hCpGsKGjYUn~NO1~D2yNr4VUxJ3irXND81FgWYegEtf6iTglBS-G1Jqfew9tGkRNM9oJOITqDhTvKgbB5sfvewkiEJVmNHdA44xvXJKeVZWpe~DDbLICJ74GrGQOhdMui5OW4ZGt5OsaY8HeZcNRjySfBS4eXHz7lUhGgUCOMShzNk1ZM2DbMwL3xfNr4UmukJ1oHgkXGi1bdKNzc-dXrXsG9Er89sfezqhJsPxqr2F-1kFJWuI2Cu4II1EAoIPFNQCREzVNwB2rVfoUEYNwukjlaRXmmh-ZtWn8IfCqTgFJYJovSPnFn2Jl0QdNGMsBOhb~FardkSqtiB6AKORw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee ","date","2025-02-04T00:00:00Z","article","The Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs subcommittee advanced legislation on private wells and septic systems and adopted an amendment that protects private irrigation wells.

Representative Ligon presented the bill, saying: “the Department of Environmental Services shall not deny a property owner the right to repair and replace any well or septic tank existing on the effective date of this act solely because of any other available water or sewer service or both.” He told the panel the measure would protect property owners from being forced to connect to newly installed water or sewer lines and would preserve the option to repair functioning wells or septic systems rather than pay for mandatory tap-on costs.

Supporters said the change addresses a statewide pattern in which residents faced large costs when authorities required connection to municipal water or sewer after lines were extended. Jay Swearingen, president of the South Carolina Groundwater Association, testified in favor: “One of our objectives is to protect the public’s right to use and have a water well, a private water well.” Rick Caldwell of the South Carolina Farm Bureau said DES already regulates private and irrigation wells under Regulation 61-44 and that the bureau was comfortable with the department’s permitting framework.

Opponents and local officials urged more time and narrower language. John Winges of the South Carolina Association of Counties said Amendment 1 removes language that preserved local setback requirements and asked for more input from county officials, noting Dorchester County and others could be affected by removing local ordinance authority. Dana Phillips of the Municipal Association of South Carolina said her members submitted “overwhelmingly negative feedback” on the amendment and that the Municipal Association opposed the change as drafted; she noted many municipalities operate water systems and worried about unintended consequences.

The committee adopted Amendment 1, which (1) bars a county, municipality or water authority from denying installation of a private irrigation well regardless of whether the property is connected to public water, provided the irrigation well is not interconnected to plumbing on the public system and is used only for nonpotable uses; and (2) bars denial or prohibition of a septic installation on a parcel that meets Department of Environmental Services guidelines regardless of whether the parcel is connected to a public sewer system. The amendment text was read into the record as amendment 1 to bill number 3656.

Formal action: the subcommittee voted to adopt Amendment 1 (roll call recorded as Representatives Kremer, Harris, Morgan and Burns; Representative May not present). The clerk announced the adopt vote as “four-zero with one not present.” After adoption, the committee voted to advance the underlying bill with the amendment; the roll call recorded four ayes, zero nays, one not present (Representative May).

Committee members and witnesses noted several unresolved points for full committee review: how local setback ordinances and county sewer-connection ordinances interact with the state-level language; the narrowness of Amendment 1 (it addresses irrigation wells, not new potable well installations); and the Municipal Association’s formal opposition. Representatives on the panel encouraged staff and interested parties to work together before full committee consideration.

Ending: The subcommittee moved the amended bill forward to the next stage. Committee staff and members said they will coordinate with county and municipal stakeholders ahead of the full committee meeting so that outstanding concerns about local ordinances and setback language can be addressed.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee -- Environmental Affairs Subcommittee of the House Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Environmental Affairs Committee 2025-02-04","oneSentenceSummary","The Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs subcommittee advanced legislation that would bar authorities from forcing property owners to sign on to public water or sewer when repairing or replacing existing wells or septic systems, and it adopted an amendment to protect private irrigation wells.","taxTitle","Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs, Standing, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative, South Carolina","taxId",17488,"location","South Carolina","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6346288,"Subcommittee votes to extend state water study after DES says no consensus; quarterly reports promised",1253,1005000,2258000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2247142-60eb1c1b5a69b2d6d9b2a02ef27ac938&start=1005&end=2258","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2247142-60eb1c1b5a69b2d6d9b2a02ef27ac938/thumbnail_1005000.jpg","/articles/6346288/South-Carolina/Subcommittee-votes-to-extend-state-water-study-after-DES-says-no-consensus-quarterly-reports-promised","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6346288-5834511a4508555f8fe2e0b397561fc8/orig.mp4?Expires=1773683231&Signature=LDl-wZbbYFGU17IT6RXodxer3Ys7sgHu4kJCIu0-siXxXLQmKa9dOKTzxkJwrfrmEx4b9OYHMJxDDvv4USHhlx5sjVYp7Jc1~ZXlRNsf1UBI-stY3HGkqEyFFHk94rsGsZcTkQ3v4uc4rRS87j1E6g2lHkOK3wi-I6fJDAqgZID03LmquKzpclZg6GY-DaQd3cyXTpYGPEaeO3Fts3FP5PyIJhLmgZbKH270FVcaOXb11EcXUKq42RpXHGe74MMAxez0eX2NPwOnqdvdIZdopuoYmtLDIEtkcOUl~KFmAkkl~P0gVZrD3QkgvHv8rpOKU-MYBbqiVDkzb6DjvfmSow__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs subcommittee approved a one-year extension for the Surface Water Study Committee’s reporting deadline after Department of Environmental Services staff said the governor-appointed group had not reached consensus on recommendations.

Representative Hixson told the panel the study group’s timeline needed to move to March 2026: “So we're gonna need to extend it to March 2026 is when we come back, and they would present this our house and senate committee, their plan.”

Rob Devlin, assistant bureau chief in the Bureau of Water at the Department of Environmental Services, told the subcommittee that WaterSC — the large governor-appointed study group — had met monthly and that “to date, no real consensus has occurred on whether or not we should make changes, look at different activities, or things like that, so we're still working through a lot of information.” He said WaterSC had held four meetings so far and that the group planned to provide quarterly updates to the legislative study committee; Devlin also said no additional funding was required because state water-planning activity funding already existed.

Members pressed DES on why a January 31 report had not been delivered and whether the committee could provide interim materials. Devlin said DES had prepared an initial draft but WaterSC had not produced consensus recommendations to transmit; he confirmed meeting minutes and materials were posted on the WaterSC website and that quarterly reports would follow. Representative Cromer asked whether an extension of a year would be sufficient; DES responded that the subject is complicated and requires coordination among conservation groups, industry, power, commerce and water-supply interests.

Formal action: the subcommittee voted to extend the study deadline (motion to extend the report deadline by one year to March 2026). Roll call recorded: Representative Kremer — aye; Representative Harris — no; Representative Morgan — aye; Representative Burns — aye; Representative May — not present. The clerk announced the tally as 3 to 1 with one not present.

Why it matters: The WaterSC work will feed a statewide water plan that expands the study scope to include groundwater as well as surface water, and the report could inform future legislative changes to permitting or water-use law. Committee members said they expect to receive quarterly drafts and a final report in the extended timeline so that the House and Senate study committee can review recommendations and propose statutory changes if needed.

Ending: The subcommittee approved the extension and asked DES and WaterSC to provide interim drafts and meeting minutes while the group continues deliberations.","The Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs subcommittee voted to extend the Surface Water Study Committee’s deadline after Department of Environmental Services staff told lawmakers the governor-appointed WaterSC had not reached consensus and had no final report due Jan. 31. The extension passed 3-1.","actionData","errors"]

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Panel advances bill to bar forced hookup to public water or sewer; adds protection for private irrigation wells

Subcommittee votes to extend state water study after DES says no consensus; quarterly reports promised