(A) The County Council is charged with the protection of the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of York County. The County Council understands the fundamental need to make efficient use of the limited and valuable water resource under its stewardship in order to protect the public's health, and safety and environmental integrity. The County Council finds that measures must be taken to insure that an adequate supply of water is available for use and for human consumption, sanitation, fire protection, and for other essential needs. The County Council further finds that the Drought Response Act of 2000 (Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, Section 49-23-10, et seq., as amended), provides authority for the county to develop and enact this Drought Management and Response Plan ("Plan") in order to establish procedures for managing water demand and evaluating supply options before and during a drought-related water shortage and to set forth the authority, policy and procedure by which the county will manage water demand during a drought-related shortage.
(B) The management provisions of the plan seek to achieve the greatest public benefit from domestic water use, sanitation, and fire protection; to allow for the provision of water for other purposes in an equitable manner; and, to outline the basis by which the county will internally prepare for water shortages. The response provisions of the plan seek to achieve the greatest public benefit from limited supplies of water needed for domestic water use, sanitation, and fire protection; to provide for the allocation of water for other purposes in an equitable manner; and, to provide the regulations by which the county will manage and control its customer water usage during various levels of a drought. Therefore, the plan is directed both towards an overall reduction in water usage and the optimization of supply.
(C) If it becomes necessary to conserve water in its service area due to drought, the plan authorizes County Manager to issue a declaration that existing conditions prevent fulfillment of the usual water-use demands. The declaration will serve to prevent depletion of the water supply and attempt to prevent depletion of the supply to the extent that water-use for human consumption, sanitation, fire protection, and other essential needs becomes endangered.
(D) Immediately upon issuance of such a declaration, the regulations and restrictions set forth under this plan shall become effective and remain in effect until the water supply shortage has ended and the declaration rescinded.
(E) Water uses that are regulated or prohibited under this plan are considered to be nonessential and continuation of such uses during times of water supply shortages is deemed to constitute a waste of water, subjecting the offender(s) to penalties.
(F) To satisfy these goals and objectives, the County Council sets forth the following plan, with regulations and restrictions, on the delivery and consumption of water. This plan is declared necessary for the protection and preservation of the public health, safety and welfare. Adoption of this plan by County Council is pursuant to its powers as the governing body of the county and in furtherance of the Drought Response Act of 2000, Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, Section 49-23-10, et seq., as amended.
(‘77 Code, § 18-16) (Ord. 786, passed 9-15-86; Am. Ord. 104, passed 1-20-04; Am. Ord. 7208, passed 11-3-08)