South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control

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Entities Involved in the Wastewater Construction Program

Links to non-DHEC organizations found at this site are provided solely as a service to our users. The links do not constitute an endorsement of these organizations or their programs. DHEC is not responsible for the content of the individual organization web pages found at these links.

Overview

State agencies, other program areas of DHEC, organizations, and federal agencies are involved in the wastewater construction permitting program of the Bureau of Water (Bureau). The Bureau will coordinate with most of these entities by providing them with basic information on a project when it is submitted to the Bureau. If these entities need anything further, they will request it from the project's consulting engineer. The consulting engineer will be notified by the Bureau during the review of a project which entities are involved in the project.

Normally, a construction permit will not be issued until all the certifications, comments, or permits are received from these entities. Therefore, at the start of a project, the consulting engineer should contact the entities involved in the project. This will help avoid delays in the Bureau's permitting process.

Listed below are the entities involved in the Bureau's wastewater construction permit programs. Their type of involvement is given along with information concerning their requirements or permits.

Other DHEC Program Areas

On wastewater construction permit applications, the Bureau will coordinate with the appropriate EQC Regional Office and other program areas of DHEC on a case by case basis as the need arises. These other program areas include but will not necessarily be limited to the Bureau of Land and Waste Management, the Bureau of Air Quality, and the Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management.

EQC Regional Offices

The Bureau may request comments from the appropriate Regional Office of EQC. The Regional Office will provide information to the Bureau on the receiving collection and treatment system, discharge points, downstream and upstream uses and users of surface waters, and adjacent land use. A wastewater construction permit will not be issued on significant projects (e.g. treatment plants) until comments are received from the EQC Regional Office.

OCRM

The Bureau coordinates with the Department's Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM) on all construction permit requests for projects located in a coastal county. These counties are Horry, Georgetown, Berkeley, Charleston, Dorchester, Colleton, Beaufort, and Jasper.

An information form on the project will be sent to OCRM. OCRM will decide whether the project is in compliance with the Coastal Zone Management Plan. If OCRM needs any additional information on the project, they will request it directly from the project's consulting engineer.

Also, OCRM may require permits on the storm water system and work in the critical zone as defined by them. Their permitting program has a thirty (30) day public notice period. During the public notice period, the Water Quality Division of the Bureau will provide comments to the OCRM on whether the proposed construction will cause water quality problems.

A wastewater construction permit will not normally be issued until the Coastal Zone Management Plan Consistency Certification has been received.

Bureau of Land and Waste Management

The Bureau of Land and Waste Management has overall responsibility for all mining operations in SC. The Industrial, Agricultural, and Storm Water Permitting Division is responsible for the wastewater generated in a mining operation. Therefore, all mining construction permit applications are coordinated with the Bureau of Land and Waste Management. It is recommended on mining projects that the consulting engineer first contact the Bureau of Land and Waste Management regarding their permitting requirements.

Bureau of Environmental Health of DHEC

The Bureau coordinates with the Bureau of Environmental Health of DHEC on wastewater construction applications for mobile home park and campground projects. Environmental Sanitation regulates lot sizes and general sanitation in mobile home parks and campgrounds as specified by Regulation 61-40 entitled "Mobile/Manufactured Home Parks" and Regulation 61-39 entitled "Camps." (To Request Copies of these Regulations E-mail MOSS G ALEX) The Bureau will issue the construction permit on this type of project after Environmental Sanitation notifies the Bureau the project complies with the applicable regulation. Councils of Government

The Bureau coordinates with the appropriate 208 Water Quality Management Plan Entity to ensure the project is in compliance with the approved 208 Plan (Water Quality Management Plan) for the area. SC has six designated 208 planning areas. (Appalachian Council of Governments , Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments , Central Midlands Regional Planning Council , Low Country Council of Governments, Santee-Lynches Council of Government, and Waccamaw Regional Council of Govenmernts) The Council of Governments (COGs) in the designated 208 areas are responsible for the 208 Plan of their area while the Bureau is responsible for the areas of the state that are not designated.

SC Budget and Control Board

The SC Budget and Control Board (Budget and Control Board) handles the "banking phases" of the State Revolving Fund (SRF) program. Therefore, on all wastewater construction projects funded by the SRF program, the Bureau coordinates with the Budget and Control Board. This involves establishing the interest rates, payment schedule, user charge review, and eligibility requirements for entities that apply for SRF loans.

SC Public Service Commission

The SC Public Service Commission (PSC) regulates private utilities that provide sewer service to the public. For sewer lines that serve more than one piece of deeded property, the Bureau will ensure the sewer lines are owned and operated and maintained by either a public entity or a utility properly registered with the PSC. Therefore, on sewer line projects, the Bureau may coordinate with the PSC, when necessary, to ensure proper ownership and operation and maintenance of the sewer lines.

US Environmental Protection Agency

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the federal agency responsible for the quality of the Nation's waters. They have delegated portions of their authority to the states. This involves issuing the NPDES permits, pretreatment program, handling grant applications, etc. EPA overviews the state's handling of these programs. Therefore, all major NPDES permits are sent to them for comment and all SRF projects are coordinated with them. Also, every year the Bureau prepares a plan for protection of the quality of the state's waters and implementation of the federal programs in SC as outlined in section 106 of the Federal Clean Water Act. This plan is approved by EPA.