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.
