County might allow Eagle's Pointe to suspend water testing in Okatie River

Beaufort County might allow Eagle's Pointe to suspend water quality monitoring in the Okatie River because 11 years of data show runoff flowing from the property is not harming the waterway.

Some environmentalists, however, contend the testing is critical in an area where shellfish beds remain closed and new developments are slated to be built.

"With all the problems going on in the Okatie River, it seems to be an unfortunate time to decrease water monitoring in that waterbody," said Reed Armstrong of the Coastal Conservation League in Beaufort.

Eagle's Pointe, a residential development off U.S. 278 in Okatie, began testing water quality on site and in the river in 1997, as part of its development agreement with the county.

Runoff carries bacteria and contaminants from sidewalks and parking lots that then flows into local waters when it rains. On undeveloped land, runoff is absorbed by natural vegetation. On developed land, it can be managed by stormwater controls, such as ponds and buffers.

Raymond Schurgot and Celia Beauchamp, president and treasurer of the Eagle's Pointe property owners association, said water-quality monitoring costs the 249 homeowners a total of about $13,284 a year. That doesn't include what homeowners are charged for water quality testing on county property tax bills, Beauchamp said.

"It's not only the cost, but over the years ... they came up with no findings and yet all around us, no one else is doing any testing," Schurgot said.

Dan Ahern, the county's stormwater manager, said Eagle's Pointe is the only development in the county required to monitor water quality as part of the development agreement. The county does not plan for future developments to monitor and test water quality because its stormwater ordinance requires developers to follow approved practices for treating runoff, Ahern said.

The county tests these controls to ensure they are working properly to protect area rivers, Ahern said. The tests have shown that what flows out of stormwater ponds is cleaner than expected, he said.

When Eagle's Pointe asked to stop testing, Ahern said a county consultant analyzed the trend data and determined the development is not having adverse effects on the river.

The county's stormwater management utility board recommended last week that County Council allow the development to stop testing.

With persistent water quality issues in local waters, environmentalists say putting an end to testing will not help.

"Dropping (Eagle's Pointe) monitoring doesn't seem to be the best interest for the whole community," said Nancy Schilling of Friends of the Rivers. "I can understand the financial impact, but on behalf of water quality they need to continue."

The Okatie is one of the state's 970 impaired waterways, which means pollution levels exceed state and federal standards. That designation requires the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control to improve the river under the terms of the federal Clean Water Act.

In August, the state agency announced an effort to improve the river's water quality by identifying how much pollution the river can take in and still meet standards for shellfishing. DHEC will use computer modeling to determine acceptable pollution loads. The results of that modeling are expected later this year.