Consistent with the South Carolina Water Resources Planning and Coordination Act, as provided in Chapter 3 of Title 49, the department, without limiting its general authority, shall:

(a) routinely monitor and record data necessary for the determination of drought conditions;

(b) make investigations it considers proper to determine whether action by the department in discharging its duties is necessary;

(c) determine levels of drought after consultation with the Drought Response Committee based upon data collected;

(d) establish drought management areas within the State in order to:

(1) enable drought mitigation to be accomplished within defined geographical areas;

(2) prevent overly broad response to drought. Statewide action usually should not be taken in instances in which action in a particular area experiencing drought is more appropriate. Establishment of drought management areas by the department in no way limits the department's or the Drought Response Committee's authority to act in an area smaller than a drought management area, such as a county or watershed.

(e) establish drought alert phases based upon drought levels and at each drought alert phase:

(1) notify public water suppliers, special purpose districts, and municipal and county governments in the affected drought management area, persons designated on notification lists, and other appropriate agencies and individuals;

(2) The department shall publish notice of each drought alert phase at least once in a newspaper of general circulation in the areas affected and provide notice to the media in each drought management area at each drought alert phase;

(3) take any other action appropriate to announce a drought alert;

(f) coordinate and implement responses to announced drought alert phases after required notification;

(g) execute the regulations promulgated by the department reasonably necessary to collect and distribute information, convene committees, promote water conservation, govern practice and procedure before the department, and fulfill its duties and the purposes of this chapter.

HISTORY: 1985 Act No. 63, Section 3; 1993 Act No. 181, Section 1250; 2000 Act No. 366, Section 3.