Public Water System Connections

2025-2026 Bill 5111: Public Water System Connections

South Carolina General Assembly

126th Session, 2025-2026

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This Bill
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A158, R211, H5111

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill

Sponsors: Reps. Forrest, Lastinger, Hartz, Gibson, McCravy, Reese and Duncan

Document Path: LC-0582WAB26.docx

Introduced in the House on February 5, 2026

Introduced in the Senate on April 15, 2026

Last Amended on April 14, 2026

Currently residing in the Senate

Governor's Action: May 15, 2026, Signed

Summary: Public Water System Connections

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

2/5/2026

House

Introduced and read first time (
House Journal-page 15
)

2/5/2026

House

Referred to Committee on
Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs
(
House Journal-page 15
)

3/25/2026

House

Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Lastinger

4/1/2026

House

Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Hartz

4/2/2026

House

Committee report: Favorable with amendment
Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs
(
House Journal-page 7
)

4/14/2026

House

Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Gibson,
McCravy, Reese, Duncan

4/14/2026

House

Amended (
House Journal-page 42
)

4/14/2026

House

Read second time (
House Journal-page 42
)

4/14/2026

House

Roll call Yeas-109 Nays-0 (
House Journal-page 44
)

4/15/2026

House

Read third time and sent to Senate (
House Journal-page 16
)

4/15/2026

Senate

Introduced and read first time (
Senate Journal-page 42
)

4/15/2026

Senate

Referred to Committee on
Judiciary
(
Senate Journal-page 42
)

4/29/2026

Senate

Recalled from Committee on
Judiciary
(
Senate Journal-page 7
)

5/5/2026

Senate

Read second time (
Senate Journal-page 51
)

5/5/2026

Senate

Roll call Ayes-45 Nays-0 (
Senate Journal-page 51
)

5/6/2026

Senate

Read third time and enrolled (
Senate Journal-page 83
)

5/14/2026

Ratified R 211

5/15/2026

Signed By Governor

5/26/2026

Effective date 05/15/26

5/26/2026

Act No. 158

View the latest
legislative information
at the website

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

02/05/2026
02/05/2026-A
04/02/2026
04/14/2026
04/29/2026

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

(A158, R211, H5111)

AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION
6-1-200
SO AS TO DEFINE TERMS AND PROHIBIT A POLITICAL SUBDIVISION FROM UNREASONABLY RESTRICTING PRIVATE WELLS ON AGRICULTURAL OR SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES AND FROM REQUIRING CONNECTION TO A WATER SYSTEM IF THE SYSTEM IS UNABLE TO PROVIDE SERVICES, AMONG OTHER THINGS.

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

Public water systems connections

SECTION 1. Article 1, Chapter 1, Title 6 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

Section 6-1-200. (A) For purposes of this section:

(1) "Political subdivision" includes, but is not limited to, a municipality, county, special purpose district, or public service district.

(2) "Impaired water quality" means a written determination by the Department of Environmental Services or the Department of Public Health that a public water system serving the jurisdiction is not in compliance with applicable state or federal drinking water standards.

(B) Notwithstanding another provision of law, a political subdivision may not adopt, enforce, or maintain an ordinance, resolution, regulation, or rule that prohibits or unreasonably restricts the drilling, servicing, repair, installation, operation, or maintenance of a private water well located on and serving either agricultural or single-family residential property consisting of one-half acre or more.

(1) Any property owner utilizing a well while connected to a water system must install necessary backflow prevention devices inspected and approved by the water provider or their third-party designee and the inspection costs must be paid by the property owner.

(2) Political subdivisions operating a water system must create a registry for all property owners utilizing a well where water service is available. Property owners must register the well with the political subdivision.

(3) Where water service is available from a political subdivision at the time of well installation, a property owner is subject to any base charges, fees, or assessments imposed by the political subdivision, notwithstanding the installation or use of a private well, and regardless of the amount of water consumed from the water system.

(C) Upon a determination of impaired water quality pursuant to subsection (A)(2), and notwithstanding another provision of law, a political subdivision may not adopt, enforce, or maintain an ordinance, resolution, regulation, or rule that prohibits or unreasonably restricts the drilling, servicing, repair, installation, operation, or maintenance of a private water well on agricultural or residential property consisting of one-half acre or more otherwise authorized under state law.

(D) Notwithstanding another provision of law, a political subdivision cannot require connection to a water system if the system is unable to provide service to that property. If the political subdivision is unable to provide services, the providing entity must notify the property owner in writing within thirty days of the request for service.

(E) Nothing in this section may be construed to authorize a property owner to disconnect from a water system provided by a political subdivision and property connected to such a water system must remain connected to the system.

(F) Nothing in this section alters the regulation, operation, or permitting of public or community wells regulated under state or federal law.

Time effective

SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Ratified the 14th day of May, 2026.

Approved the 15th day of May, 2026.

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This web page was last updated on
June 11, 2026 at 3:03 PM