§ 65-652. Definitions.

The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this division, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

Aesthetic water use means water use for ornamental or decorative purposes such as fountains, reflecting pools, and waterfalls.

Commercial and industrial use means water use integral to the production of goods and/or services by any establishment having profit as its primary aim.

Conservation means reduction in water use to prevent depletion or waste of the resource.

Customer means any person using finished water owned or supplied by the county water and sanitation authority.

Domestic water use means water use for personal needs or for household purposes such as drinking, bathing, heating, cooking, or sanitation, or for cleaning a residence, business, industry or institution.

Drought alert phases. There are four drought alert phases to be determined by the state drought response committee. The four phases are:

(1)

Incipient drought.

(2)

Moderate drought.

(3)

Severe drought.

(4)

Extreme drought.

Drought management areas. There are four drought management areas corresponding to the major river basins in South Carolina (West or Savannah, Central or Santee, Northeast or Pee Dee, and Southern or ACE). In order to prevent overly broad response to drought conditions, drought response measures shall be considered within individual drought management areas or within individual counties, as applicable.

Drought response committee means a committee composed of state and local representatives created for the purpose of coordinating responses to water supply shortages within drought management areas and making recommendations for action to the state department of natural resources and/or the governor.

Equivalent residential unit (ERU) is an equivalency unit defined to be equal to one single-family residence. The county water and sanitation authority's allocated water capacity equals 215 gallons per day per ERU.

Essential water use means water used specifically for firefighting, for maintaining in-stream flow requirements, and to satisfy federal, state or local public health and safety requirements.

Finished water means water distributed for use after treatment. The terms "water use," "water user," and "water customer" refer to finished water use unless otherwise defined.

Institutional water use means water used by government, public and private educational institutions, churches and places of worship, water utilities, and organizations within the public domain.

Irrigation water use means water used to maintain gardens, trees, lawns, shrubs, flowers, athletic fields, rights-of-way, and medians.

Nonessential water use means categories of water use other than essential water use not needed to satisfy public health and safety requirements. Examples of nonessential water use include landscape irrigation and the washing of buildings, parking lots, automobiles, etc.

State department of natural resources means the state agency with primacy to implement the provisions of the Drought Response Act ((S.C. Code 1976, § 49-23-10 et seq.).

Utility means the county water and sanitation authority.

Water supply shortage means lack of adequate, available water caused by drought to meet normal demands.

(Ord. No. 03-06-28, § 2(13.2), 6-16-2003)

Cross reference

Definitions generally, § 1-2.