Our View: Wise move for county to address stormwater

This week's astronomically high tides are reminding a lot of people just how close we live to the water in Beaufort County.

And this week's vote by Beaufort County Council to do more to keep waterways clean and improve drainage is another high-water mark for responsible living on the coast.

The 6-4 vote was close, but the increases approved for stormwater utility fees were not only needed locally but mandatory by federal law.

Without the increases -- which are expected to raise an additional $1.5 million for the county's stormwater utility -- the county could risk falling out of compliance with the new federal standards next fall, county stormwater manager Eric Larson said. Noncompliance could put the county at risk for large federal fines.

We thank Councilwoman Alice Howard for outlining the common-sense approach to this problem. "I compare this to the '70s, when people were forced to take on wastewater," she said. "It's the law. It's the EPA, it's DHEC, and they will fine us. We have to do this."

She's right. But it also is something that Beaufort County must do to accommodate its high growth rate. With growth comes threats to the health of an environment that drives the economy.

The fee increase varies by where one lives. The rate structure has been studied for years to provide equity. The bottom line is that "all properties pay fees based on their impact on the water resources of Beaufort County, including properties that are exempt from taxes," the county says.

More employees will be required to meet new guidelines for public outreach, controlling and monitoring runoff from construction and developed sites, and reporting results to the state.

"Honestly, we're trying to go from a reactive program to a proactive program," said Larson, the county stormwater manager. "We spend all our time chasing problems, and we want to get to the point of identifying the problem before the property owner even knows it exists."

That is another solid justification for the fee increase. Some called for a delay, but the question has gone through committee and been before the County Council since July. And the concept is nothing new. The stormwater utility was established in 2001 for purposes that need greater support today: "Managing, acquiring, constructing, protecting, operating, maintaining, enhancing, controlling and regulating the use of stormwater drainage systems in the county."

County Council was wise to renew that support this week. It was the responsible thing to do, and it should enable the community to do much better than tread water.

This story was originally published October 1, 2015 at 11:51 PM with the headline "Our View: Wise move for county to address stormwater."