Drinking Water - Distribution Line Permitting
The Water Facilities Permitting Division handles the permitting responsibility for the construction of water distribution projects. Projects are managed by the Construction Permitting Section. This section coordinates the project approvals for typically over 1,200 distribution systems per year. These include those projects submitted as regular projects (those that are technically reviewed and permitted by the section) as well as those submitted through the Department’s Delegated Review Program (DRP). Projects submitted through the DRP are first submitted by the design engineer to a qualified public entity that has received Department approval. The DRP entity completes the technical review and then forwards the project to the Construction Permitting Section for permit issuance. The Construction Permitting Section also oversees the Department’s General Permit Program. This program enables a water system, that has been issued a general permit by the Department, to construct water lines, under the constraints of this program, without having to obtain individual construction permits.
As part of the review process, the Construction Permitting Section will coordinate as necessary with other Bureau of Water programs (e.g., compliance, enforcement, monitoring). Outside of the Bureau, the Construction Permitting Section will coordinate with other entities such as OCRM (Ocean and Coastal Resource Management) for projects located in counties along the coast (i.e., Horry, Georgetown, Berkeley, Charleston, Dorchester, Colleton, Beaufort and Jasper). Other entities involved in the permitting process may include the local Environmental Quality Control Regional Offices, Local Planning Authorities, the SC Budget and Control Board, and the SC Department of Commerce.
For more information on Distribution Line Permitting, see the Water Distributiuon System Permitting Guidance (PDF - 491K)
Bureau of Water . Phone: (803) 898-4300 . Fax: (803) 898-4215 . Contact Us