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Planning commission approves preliminary plan for Berkeley County elevated water tank
Summary
The Berkeley County Planning Commission approved a preliminary plan for an elevated water tank proposed by the Berkeley County Public Service Water District. Staff said the tank will increase local storage capacity; a DOH entrance permit remains pending.
The Berkeley County Planning Commission voted to approve a preliminary plan for an elevated water tank proposed by the Berkeley County Public Service Water District, advancing the project toward final approval.
Staff told commissioners the one-acre Industrial Zone site off Development Drive met subdivision-ordinance requirements and that County Engineer Doug Smith deemed the project compliant on April 11, 2025. Planning staff recommended approval of the preliminary plan.
The recommendation drew technical questions from commissioners about who would be served. Engineer Steve Sionovich of Fox & Associates, representing the applicant, said the tank is intended to increase water storage and reliability across the district rather than to serve a single nearby development. "It's not — it's more of a storage type of issue," Sionovich said, adding the district has been evaluating transmission-line and storage improvements to provide water to some South County properties the district has been hesitant to serve because of limited existing storage.
Sionovich said the district uses Dewberry for engineering evaluations and described previous work to determine fire-flow needs at sites such as the Mountaineer Recovery Center, where building separation affected required fire water volumes. He also said the new tank would be one of several storage assets that together serve properties across the county, citing other tanks that feed areas such as Cardinal Point.
Commissioners raised no objections. Sam Lewis moved to accept staff recommendations; the motion was seconded by Mister Gough and carried with a voice vote. The approval advances the preliminary plan to the next stage; Sionovich and staff said the project was awaiting a Department of Health entrance permit before construction could proceed.
The planning commission record shows the project, filed as 2410-318, is located in the Arden District, tax map 14, parcel 36, on the west side of Development Drive about 0.8 miles south of Business Park Drive.
