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Tega Cay council approves first reading of ordinance to prevent new private wells, grandfather existing ones
Summary
The Tega Cay City Council unanimously approved introduction and first reading of an ordinance that would prohibit new private wells from connecting to the city's water system while explicitly grandfathering existing wells; council amended the draft to remove the word “irrigation” for clarity.
At its Jan. 28 meeting, the Tega Cay City Council voted unanimously to introduce and give first reading to an ordinance aimed at protecting the municipal water system by prohibiting new private wells from connecting to city water while leaving existing wells in place.
City staff member Antonio May introduced the measure, saying the change is intended to “protect public health and reduce risk to the city system.” May said the draft would prevent new wells from being tied into the municipal supply and allow a variance only where city water is not available. “If you have a well, it's staying. It's grandfathered in,” May said, adding that cross-connections could be decommissioned if discovered: “We cannot — there's no connection at all.”
The ordinance language originally referenced irrigation specifically; council asked staff to remove the single word “irrigation” from section 54-26 so the text reads clearly that existing wells — whether for drinking or irrigation — remain grandfathered. Council member Brian moved the amended introduction and first reading, and the motion passed unanimously.
During public comment, resident Nancy Frase asked whether existing wells would be grandfathered and whether the ordinance would distinguish between wells used for household drinking water and those used only for irrigation. May responded that existing wells would be grandfathered and that the ordinance is intended to close a regulatory gap left when state oversight structures changed. He also described a local variance process for limited new well exceptions and said the city would require decommissioning if a connection to city water were later made.
City staff and council framed the change as chiefly protective: May warned that a single contaminated well could affect the public system if cross-connections occur, and council members noted there are relatively few such wells in the city. The ordinance was presented as a first reading; it will return to council for further consideration and a second reading at a future meeting.
The council took the vote after council members discussed the specific wording change and the variance procedure; no formal dissent was recorded.
