(A113, R98, H4027)

AN ACT TO AMEND ACT 745 OF 1967, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO RENEWABLE WATER RESOURCES (REWA) FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE WESTERN CAROLINA REGIONAL SEWER AUTHORITY, SO AS TO AMEND REWA'S SERVICE AREA, REVISE THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE GOVERNING COMMISSION, AND TO REQUIRE REWA TO PLACE A CONSERVATION EASEMENT ON CERTAIN PROPERTY AND MAKE CERTAIN INFORMATION AVAILABLE THROUGH THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

ReWa service area amended

SECTION     1.     Section 2.8 of Act 745 of 1967, as last amended by Act 284 of 2018, is amended to read:

"Section 2.8.     Notwithstanding another provision of law, the boundary lines that define the service territory of the Renewable Water Resources (ReWa), formerly the Western Carolina Regional Sewer Authority, are hereby expanded to include an area labeled the 'Enoree Basin' area of Spartanburg County, which is shown on a map filed with the Renewable Water Resources Commission as provided and maintained by the Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office and designated as document 'ReWa Service Area - 2020 Attachment A'. The General Assembly provides that this document is the document of record delineating the service territory of the Renewable Water Resources."

ReWa governing commission

SECTION     2.     Section 3(C) of Act 745 of 1967, as last amended by Act 284 of 2018, is amended to read:

"(C)         One member must be from Anderson County, one member from Laurens County, and one member from Spartanburg County. Eight members must be from Greenville County.

(1)     The Anderson and Laurens County Delegations shall each recommend one member for appointment to the Governor. The initial terms of the members from Anderson County and Laurens County must be designated in the original appointments.

(2)     The Spartanburg County Delegation shall recommend for appointment to the Governor one member of the Commission from Spartanburg County. The initial term of the member from Spartanburg County must be designated in the original appointment."

ReWa easement and operational records

SECTION     3.     A.         Act 745 of 1967, as last amended by Act 284 of 2018, is amended by adding a new section to read:

"Section 2.9.     (A)     Notwithstanding another provision of law, Renewable Water Resources (ReWa), formerly the Western Carolina Regional Sewer Authority, shall place all real property acquired south of Highway 414 near the North Greenville University Campus in a conservation easement that shall be managed by Upstate Forever or a similar independent entity capable of managing and preserving the property. ReWa shall annually donate to the entity managing the property seventy-five thousand dollars for a period of five years to cover administrative costs and to fund programs dedicated to preserving the rural nature, environmental integrity, and sustainability of the Tigerville community. Any documents related to the conservation easement shall be publicly recorded and considered public documents for the purposes of complying with the Freedom of Information Act.

(B)     ReWa is permitted to reserve no more than a fifty foot easement and eight or fewer acres from the same property identified in subsection (A) for the installation of a new treatment facility to service the Cherokee Valley neighborhood and North Greenville University, provided that the treatment facility shall not be larger than a three hundred thousand gallon per day capacity facility. This treatment facility shall be designed and operated by utilizing the latest technology and best wastewater treatment practices and shall comply with all applicable state and federal regulations. ReWa shall be responsible for all costs related to the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of the water treatment facility.

(C)     With the exception of North Greenville University and the Cherokee Valley neighborhood, ReWa is prohibited from serving the Tigerville area."

B.     Act 745 of 1967, as last amended by Act 284 of 2018, is amended by adding an appropriately numbered section to read:

"Section __.     The operational records of all ReWa facilities shall be available through a Freedom of Information request to ReWa or the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control."

Time effective

SECTION     4.     This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Ratified the 13th day of May, 2021.

Approved the 19th day of May, 2021.

This web page was last updated on July 28, 2021 at 11:23 AM