Dorchester County, SC Water Use Rules: Recycled Water Rules (2026)

Chapter 44, Division 13 of the county's general code sets out how reclaimed water service works. Sec. 44-145 states the county's intent "to minimize the use of potable water supplies for non-potable uses" and to build out a reclaimed system for its service area. Availability is not automatic: Sec. 44-146 says a nearby main "does not necessarily mean that service is available," and a property is only considered served once distribution lines sit within 150 feet, subject to department approval. All reclaimed mains and appurtenances built or accepted by the county become county property under Sec.

44-148, and no one may work on the system without the director's written authorization. Sec. 44-149 sets minimum main size at four inches and minimum service lines at one inch, and requires reclaimed service lines to stay at least five feet from any potable water service line for cross-connection safety. Sec. 44-155 requires meters on every reclaimed account, billed under the rate set in Appendix B. Sec. 44-156 mandates a backflow prevention device on every premises receiving reclaimed water to protect the potable supply, installed and owned by the county, and gives the county a right of entry to inspect for cross-connections, which a customer is deemed to consent to just by applying for or using the service.

Sec. 44-157 flatly bars installing a new irrigation well on any property where reclaimed water distribution facilities are already available. Reclaimed water may serve cooling and process uses under Sec. 44-158, but it may never be piped into a residential building, and any effluent from that use must go to the sanitary sewer and meet county pretreatment standards. These provisions trace to Ord. No. 12-02, adopted March 5, 2012.