(A)(1) A new surface water withdrawer that owns and operates a licensed impoundment that utilizes water withdrawn from its licensed impoundment and the withdrawals are subject to review and approval of applicable state and federal laws and regulations, including its impoundment licensing authority, shall be issued a surface water withdrawal permit upon proper application.

(2) Any other new surface water withdrawer that utilizes water withdrawn from a licensed impoundment shall be issued a surface water withdrawal permit upon proper application in accordance with the criteria contained in this chapter. If this new surface water withdrawer has been issued a license, permit, or certification through a state or federal process that reviewed criteria substantially similar to some or all of the surface water withdrawal criteria contained in this chapter, then the application for the new surface water withdrawal is only required to address the criteria not addressed when the new surface water withdrawer was issued a license, permit, or certification through a state or federal process.

Terms Used In South Carolina Code 49-4-45

  • Department: means the Department of Health and Environmental Control. See South Carolina Code 49-4-20
  • Impoundment: means a dam, dike, natural structure, or any combination thereof that is designed to hold an accumulation of surface water or impede the flow of surface water. See South Carolina Code 49-4-20
  • Surface water: means all water that is wholly or partially within the State, including the Savannah River, or within its jurisdiction, which is open to the atmosphere and subject to surface runoff, including, but not limited to, lakes, streams, ponds, rivers, creeks, runs, springs, and reservoirs, but not including water and wastewater treatment impoundments, off-stream supplemental operations related impoundments, or water storage structures constructed by the surface water withdrawer to provide adequate supplies of surface water during low flow conditions. See South Carolina Code 49-4-20
  • surface water withdrawal permit: means a written authorization issued to a person by the department that allows the person to hold and exercise a water right to withdraw surface water pursuant to the terms of the permit and this chapter. See South Carolina Code 49-4-20
  • Surface water withdrawer: means a person withdrawing surface water in excess of three million gallons during any one month from a single intake or multiple intakes under common ownership within a one mile radius from any one existing or proposed intake. See South Carolina Code 49-4-20
  • Withdrawal: means to remove surface water from its natural course or location, or exercising physical control over surface water in its natural course or location, regardless of whether the water is returned to its waters of origin, consumed, transferred to another river basin, or discharged elsewhere. See South Carolina Code 49-4-20

(B) Permits issued pursuant to this section will be required to identify the surface water withdrawer, the point of withdrawal, and the maximum withdrawal amounts and also will require that the applicant comply with the reporting requirements of § 49-4-50.

(C) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to diminish the department‘s authority to regulate facilities under any other applicable laws.

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