County utilities

2025-2026 Bill 4747: County utilities - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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H. 4747
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Rep. Pedalino
Document Path: LC-0503WAB26.docx
Introduced in the House on January 13, 2026
Currently residing in the House Committee on
Judiciary
Summary: County utilities
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

12/16/2025

House

Prefiled

12/16/2025

House

Referred to Committee on
Judiciary

1/13/2026

House

Introduced and read first time (
House Journal-page 76
)

1/13/2026

House

Referred to Committee on
Judiciary
(
House Journal-page 76
)

View the latest
legislative information
at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
12/17/2025

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION
4-9-43
SO AS TO AUTHORIZE COUNTIES THAT OPERATE A COUNTYWIDE WATER AND SEWER
SYSTEM ON JULY 1, 2026, TO ACQUIRE MUNICIPAL WATER SYSTEMS LOCATED WITHIN THE
COUNTY, TO ESTABLISH A RELATED ACQUISITION PROCESS INCLUDING PETITION, PUBLIC
NOTICE, HEARING, AND ORDINANCE ENACTMENT REQUIREMENTS.

B
e it enacted by the
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

S
ECTION 1.
A
rticle 1, Chapter 9, Title 4 of the S.C. Code is
amended by adding:

S
ection
4-9-43
.
(
A) Notwithstanding any other
provision of law, any county in this State that operates a countywide water and
sewer system on July 1, 2026, may acquire the water and sewer system owned or
operated by any municipalities located within that county, including the
system's assets, infrastructure, liabilities, and outstanding obligations,
pursuant to the requirements of this section.

(
B)
(
1) To initiate such an acquisition, a
petition must be presented to the governing body of the county requesting the
acquisition of a specified municipal water system. The petition must be signed
by at least forty percent of the qualified electors residing within the service
area of the municipal water and sewer system proposed to be acquired.

(
2)
The petition must:

(
a)
contain the printed name and address of each signer;

(
b)
include the original signature of each qualified elector;

(
c)
contain, printed at the top of each page of the petition, the following:

(
i)
the name of the municipal water system proposed to be dissolved and acquired by
the county; and

(
ii)
a statement that the petition may not become effective unless signed by at
least forty percent of the qualified electors residing within the service area
of the municipal water system.

(
C)
Within fifteen days of the receipt of the petition, the county election
commission shall:

(
1)
ascertain the number of qualified electors residing within the service area of
the municipal water system using the most current official voter registration
list; and

(
2)
determine whether each signer of the petition is a qualified elector and
resides within the service area.

(
D)
Within thirty days after the petition is certified as meeting the requirements
of subsection (B), the county governing body must hold at least one public
meeting on the proposed acquisition. Notice of the meeting must comply with the
provisions of Section
30-4-80
and also must:

(
1)
be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the county at least
fifteen days prior to the meeting;

(
2)
state the date, time, location, and purpose of the meeting; and

(
3)
include a summary of the terms of the proposed acquisition and any known
financial obligations that would be assumed by the county.

(
E) No
later than thirty days after the public meeting required by subsection (D), the
county governing body may enact an ordinance authorizing the acquisition of the
municipal water system, unless it finds by resolution that:

(
1)
the acquisition would create an undue financial burden on the county's water
and sewer system;

(
2)
the terms of acquisition would violate state or federal law; and

(
3)
the petition was not validly certified.

(
F) Upon
enactment of the ordinance, the county shall acquire ownership and operational
control of the municipal water system. The county shall also assume the
obligations of the municipal system, including debt service, contracts, and
ongoing operations, subject to applicable legal and financial due diligence.

(
G) This
section may not be interpreted to impair existing bond covenants or contractual
obligations of the municipal water system without the consent of affected
parties, as required by law.

(
H) The
provisions of this section are cumulative and shall not be construed to limit
other powers of counties under general or special law.

S
ECTION 2. This act takes ef
fect on July 1, 2026.

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This web page was last updated on January 13, 2026 at 2:39 PM