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The Stormwater Department conducts permitting and inspections of construction projects to ensure federal, state, and county stormwater regulations are implemented. We also make sure pollution isn’t flowing into or out of the county’s storm system or from county facilities.
The Stormwater Department conducts permitting and inspections of construction projects to ensure federal, state, and county stormwater regulations are implemented. We also make sure pollution isn’t flowing into or out of the county’s storm system or from county facilities.
In addition to managing rainfall runoff from Anderson County’s facilities and operations, we also regulate private land development related to stormwater pollution during the construction process and after construction is complete. This is accomplished through a permitting and inspection program. Lastly, we search for unnoticed pollution sources to the county’s storm system and work with the public to eliminate them. Although the department was created to comply with federal and state regulations and permits, the ultimate goal is to protect Anderson County’s lakes, streams, and groundwater from pollution.
Anderson County requires land disturbing activities disturbing one or more acres, including sites smaller than one acre that are part of a larger common plan of development ultimately disturbing one or more acres, to obtain permit coverage for their stormwater discharges by submitting a stormwater management and sediment control plan for review and approval*. A stormwater management and sediment control plan must be certified by one of the following:
An application fee of $850 plus $300 per disturbed acre is required. For example, the application fee for a project that disturbs 2.1 acres would pay $850 + 2.1 x $300 for a total of $1,480.
Upon receipt of a stormwater permit application the Stormwater Department has 20 working days to review the plan and issue an approval letter or return comments to the applicant’s design professional. If notice is not given or action not taken by the Stormwater Department within 20 working days, the plan is considered approved by default.
Once an applicant’s plan receives approval from Anderson County, a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit must also be obtained from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) before land disturbing activities can begin. An application fee of $125 to SCDHEC is required for this permit, and permittees are responsible for arranging payment with SCDHEC. Anderson County will forward the approval letter and the Notice of Intent (NOI) to SCDHEC. Within 7 days of receiving this information and payment of the $125 application fee, SCDHEC will issue NPDES permit coverage or request to review the stormwater plan also before issuing the NPDES permit approval.
View the Stormwater Permit Application Flow Chart
* See the Stormwater Management Ordinance, Chapter 24, Article V for exceptions and exemptions.
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) conducts water quality monitoring to assess the health of the state’s streams, rivers, and lakes. The water samples are analyzed for several different parameters such as bacteria (E. coli), pH, dissolved oxygen, suspended solids, nutrients, and metals. The results are then compared with water quality standards established by SCDHEC that take into consideration the use and value of the waterbody for public water supply for the protection of fish, shellfish, and wildlife and for recreational, agricultural, industrial, and navigational purposes.
Learn more about water quality standards.
When monitoring finds that water quality standards are not being met, the waterbody is designated as impaired and placed on the 303(d) list. The list gets its name from the requirements of section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act. Waterbodies can be delisted if monitoring finds that they meet the water quality standards or if a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) is created and approved by EPA for the waterbody and the pollutant exceeding the water quality standard.
See the impaired waters list.
What is a TMDL?
A TMDL, or Total Maximum Daily Load, is the amount of a single pollutant (such as bacteria, nutrients, metals) that can enter a waterbody on daily basis and still meet water quality standards set forth by the state.
“TMDL” refers to both a calculation of a pollutant entering a waterbody as well as a document which includes this calculation along with a source assessments, watershed and land use information, reductions and allocations information, implementation and other relevant information, maps, figures, and pictures.
TMDLs are a requirement found in Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act. Once a site is included on the 303(d) list of impaired waters, a TMDL must be developed within two to thirteen years of initial listing. In South Carolina, TMDLs are developed and proposed by SCDHEC and then forwarded to EPA Region 4 for final approval.
TMDLs are calculated by adding all the point and nonpoint sources for the pollutant causing the impairment. After a TMDL is calculated, the amount of load entering from point and nonpoint sources is compared to the water quality standards for that waterbody. Then this total load is reduced to the levels of meeting water quality standards. This reduced load is then divided among all the point and nonpoint sources.
The goal of a TMDL is to identify potential pollution sources, calculate, and quantify the reduction of those sources and to implement general information needed in order to meet water quality standards and improve water quality. After the approval of the TMDL, an implementation plan can be developed to realize the goals of the written TMDL document. Implementation of a TMDL has a potential to reduce sources of pollution within a watershed and a potential to restore the full use of the water body.
Learn more about why stormwater management is so important.
1428 Pearman Dairy Road, Anderson, SC 29625
P.O. Box 8002, Anderson, SC 29622
To report material spilled, dumped or discharged to a storm drain or surface water that you believe to be an immediate threat to the public’s health or the environment, please call (864) 260.4444 at any time.