The Walhalla Water Department understands the fundamental need to make efficient use of the limited and valuable water resources under its stewardship in order to protect the public's health and safety and environmental integrity. The purpose of this chapter is to establish a plan and procedures for managing water demand and evaluating supply options before and during a drought-related water shortage. The intent is to satisfy the requirements of the Drought Response Act of 2000 (S.C. Code Ann. § 49-23-10, et seq., as amended), with the goal of achieving the greatest public benefit from domestic water use, sanitation and fire protection and to provide water for other purposes in an equitable manner. Therefore, the Walhalla Water Department has adopted this Drought Management Plan and Drought Response Regulations that provide the policies and the authority to fulfill this obligation. The Drought Management Plan (Article II) outlines the framework by which Walhalla Water Department will internally prepare for water shortages. The regulations (Article III) provide the regulations by which the Walhalla Water Department will manage and control its customer water usage during various levels of a drought.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
Water use for ornamental or decorative purposes such as fountains, reflecting pools and waterfalls.
Water use integral to the production of goods and/or services by any establishment having profit as its primary aim.
Reduction in water use to prevent depletion or waste of the resource.
Any person, company or organization using finished water owned or supplied by the Walhalla Water Department.
Water used for personal needs or for household purposes such as drinking, bathing, heating, cooking, sanitation or for cleaning a residence, business, industry or institution.
There are four drought alert phases to be determined by the Drought Response Committee for the State of South Carolina. The four phases are:
A committee composed of state and local representatives created for the purpose of coordinating responses to water supply shortages within drought management areas and making recommendations for action to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and/or the Governor. The Committee is composed of state agency representatives from the South Carolina Emergency Management Division of the Office of the Adjutant General, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, South Carolina Department of Agriculture, South Carolina Forestry Commission and South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, as well as local committees representing counties, municipalities, public service districts, private water suppliers, agriculture, industry, domestic users, regional councils of government, commissions of public works, power generation facilities, special purpose districts and Soil and Water Conservation Districts.
Water used specifically for fire-fighting, maintaining in-stream flow requirements and to satisfy federal, state or local public health and safety requirements.
Water distributed for use after treatment. The terms "water use," "water user" and "water customer" refer to finished water use unless otherwise defined.
Water used by government, public and private educational institutions, churches and places of worship, water utilities and organizations within the public domain.
Water used to maintain gardens, trees, lawns, shrubs, flowers, athletic fields, rights-of-way and medians.
Categories of water use other than essential water use. Examples of nonessential water use include landscape irrigation and the washing of buildings, parking lots, automobiles, etc.
An equivalency unit defined to be equal to one single-family residence. Walhalla Water Department's allocated water capacity equals 400 gallons per day per REU.
The state agency with primacy to implement the provisions of the Drought Response Act.
Lack of adequate, available water to meet normal demands caused by drought.