Gov. McMaster issues executive order for WaterSC, to develop a state water plan

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WSAV)—Governor Henry McMaster issued Executive Order 2024-22 on Tuesday establishing the WaterSC Water Resources Working Group (WaterSC).

The S.C. Governor’s office said that WaterSC will work across state agencies and with stakeholders to develop a state water plan that will balance South Carolina’s economic and environmental interests. This is to ensure the long-term protection of the state’s water resources as demand increases from record-breaking economic development and population growth.

“South Carolina has been richly blessed with abundant water resources,” said McMaster, “but with increased demand driven by historic economic development and a booming population, we must take action now to ensure these resources are managed in the best interests of all South Carolinians. The formation of WaterSC will unite South Carolina’s top minds and key stakeholders to craft a plan that balances our economic and environmental interests, which will ensure that our water resources are plentiful and that our economy remains strong for generations to come.”

WaterSC will first create a Stakeholder Engagement Plan by Oct. 31, 2024, to ensure that relevant stakeholders have a voice in shaping the state’s water policy, they said.

WaterSC will then be tasked with providing a report to the General Assembly’s Surface Water Study Committee by Jan. 31, 2025. The Governor’s Office said that this is necessary for informing the committee of the current state of surface water in South Carolina and recommending changes to current laws for sustainable surface water withdrawal practices.

This collaborative working group will be led by a new gubernatorial cabinet agency, the S.C. Department of Environmental Services (SCDES), which by statute on July 1, 2024, assumed many of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) responsibilities regarding water policy, including the completion of an updated state water plan, they said.

The governor’s order directs WaterSC to assist and advise SCDES in developing a comprehensive water resources policy so that the agency may issue an updated State Water Plan by Dec. 31, 2025.

SCDES Interim Director Myra Reece will lead WaterSC. The working group will be composed of ex officio participants from across the following state agencies:

• Director of the Office of Resilience, or designee
• Commissioner of Agriculture, or designee
• Director of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, or designee
• Director of the Department of Natural Resources, or designee
• Secretary of Commerce, or designee

“Sustainable management and use of our state’s water resources is beyond the scope of any one agency or organization, rather it is a shared role and responsibility among leaders, partners and experts across our state,” said Reece. “As the state’s new environmental agency, we at the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services are honored and excited to lead this collaborative effort to preserve, sustain, and manage our state’s water resources for present and future use.”