Environmental Rules in Georgetown County, SC (2026)
4 rules for unincorporated Georgetown County, South Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
Stormwater Management
Unincorporated Georgetown County funds stormwater management through a dedicated utility fee billed to every developed parcel. The county sets one equivalent residential unit (ERU) at 3,770 square feet of impervious surface and charges $52 per ERU per year, administered by the Public Services Department under Chapter 8, Article III.
Stormwater Utility Fee in Georgetown County
Some RestrictionsGeorgetown County Code §§ 8-38, 8-38.1
Sec. 8-38. - Impervious surface area and equivalent residential unit. ... (b)Based on an analysis by the county of impervious surface area on properties throughout the county, an impervious surface area of three thousand seven hundred seventy (3,770) square feet shall be designated as one (1) equivalent residential unit (ERU). ... ... Sec. 8-38.1. - Schedules of fees and charges. The following ...
Erosion Control
Unincorporated Georgetown County requires a Land Disturbance Permit before any land-disturbing construction under the county's Stormwater Management Ordinance 2014, with erosion and sediment control built into every approved Stormwater Management and Sediment Control Plan. Sites disturbing less than one acre outside a larger common plan and more than half a mile from a receiving water body are exempt. The County Stormwater Division enforces the ordinance and can charge violators civilly and criminally.
Erosion & Sediment Control Permits in Georgetown County
Some RestrictionsGeorgetown County Stormwater Management Ordinance 2014 (Appendix C, Pt. I), Art. I §§ C, E; Art. VI § E
All land disturbance activities are required to obtain a Georgetown County Land Disturbance Permit unless otherwise exempt from the provisions of the Ordinance and the requirements of providing stormwater management measures. ... The following activities are exempt from the Georgetown County Land Disturbance Permitting Requirements: ... 2.Minor land disturbing activities that disturb less than ...
Flood Zones
Unincorporated Georgetown County regulates every Special Flood Hazard Area shown on FEMA's June 18, 2025 Flood Insurance Study under its Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance, requiring a Development Permit before any building, filling, or grading in a mapped flood zone. The Building Official acts as local floodplain administrator, and violating the ordinance is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500 or 30 days in jail.
Floodplain Development Rules in Georgetown County
Some RestrictionsGeorgetown County Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance (Appendix C, Pt. II), Art. I §§ D, E, J
D. - Lands to Which this Ordinance Applies. This ordinance shall apply to all areas of special flood hazard within the jurisdiction of Georgetown County as identified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in its Flood Insurance Study, dated June 18, 2025 with accompanying maps and other supporting data that are hereby adopted by reference and declared to be a part of this ordinance....
Flood Elevation Requirements
In unincorporated Georgetown County's Special Flood Hazard Areas, the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance sets the Design Flood Elevation at the base flood elevation plus one foot of freeboard, and every new or substantially improved residential structure must have its lowest floor built no lower than that one-foot mark above the base flood elevation, with basements barred outright.
Base Flood Elevation & Freeboard in Georgetown County
Some RestrictionsGeorgetown County Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance (Appendix C, Pt. II), Art. II § A.13; Art. IV § B.1.a
13.Design Flood Elevation (DFE) - the elevation of the Base Flood plus one (1) foot at any given location in the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). Specifically measured to the top of the lowest floor in A and AE zones and the bottom of the lowest supporting horizontal structural member (excluding pilings or columns) in VE zones. Manufactured homes are measured to the bottom of the frame in all ...
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