Clean and Plentiful Water
Our waterways connect us all. From the headwaters in the upstate to our ocean coastline, water issues touch all of us. Clean and plentiful water is absolutely essential for wildlife, ecosystem health, and human health and that is why CVSC works every day to ensure that all of South Carolina has access to both.
CVSC’s Clean Water efforts work at the intersection of public health, natural resource management, and the environment. Through legislative and regulatory advocacy, community partnerships, and grasstops education, we raise the profile of clean water needs throughout South Carolina and launch the strategic campaigns necessary to deliver results.
2025-2026 Session: The legislative session starts in January 2025, and CVSC will continue to advocate for sufficient state funding and policies to ensure the sustainably managed water in our rivers and lakes and that every person in South Carolina has access to clean rivers, lakes, oceans, and drinking water that supports a healthy people and environment.
Read more about our legislative priorities.
Last Session (2023–2024): CVSC’s recent clean water efforts have been focused on removing toxic, ‘forever chemicals’ called perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from drinking water systems across the state.
After the establishment of the “PFOS, PFOA, and Emerging Contaminants Remediation Fund,” which dedicated $25 million to PFAS remediation in the state, CVSC has been working with the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) to ensure its proper implementation. Sixty percent of the funds were dedicated to private wells and small private water systems to ensure that those who are most vulnerable to contamination are prioritized.
Since the fund’s implementation in 2022, over 400 private wells have been tested. Those who have tested over the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) drinking water standards for various PFAS compounds have received filtration and education at no cost.
Ensuring all South Carolinians have clean and safe drinking water coming from their taps requires the General Assembly dedicate sufficient funding and adopt sound policies for the protection of public health.
Communities across South Carolina–especially low-wealth communities and rural communities–must ask themselves daily if their water is safe to drink. As scientists and regulators learn more about various chemicals found in the environment and drinking water sources, South Carolinians are discovering that they have more and more of these new, toxic ‘forever chemicals’ in their drinking water.
One such chemical that has received significant attention is PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), which have been a primary focus for CVSC in recent years. CVSC has worked with stakeholders across the state to enable our state agencies to identify areas of concern and get relief for those who are drinking water contaminated with these and other toxic chemicals.
The changing climate is driving more extreme weather events–larger and more frequent storms and associated floods but also more prolonged and intense droughts. At the same time, sea level rise and increased water use are driving saltwater into our groundwater stores.
Whether we are talking about drinking water, manufacturing and agricultural consumptive use, recreational boating and fishing needs, or sustainable flows for fish and wildlife, it is clear that thoughtful management of our water supplies is essential for South Carolina’s environment and economy.
That is why CVSC works closely with state agencies like the Department of Environmental Services, the Department of Natural Resources, and the SC Office of Resilience to ensure that our water use policies in the state meet both the needs of our state
We educate and lobby our state leaders on the need to thoughtfully manage this life-giving resource, both pushing and empowering them to make the right choice for the future of our state, our families, and our economy.
From the ACE Basin to Bulls Bay and beyond, South Carolina’s coastline is one of the most iconic in the world. We have invested heavily in protecting our coast from industrialization and the pollution that it brings. As a result, our tourism economy has thrived from the focus on coastal protection and conservation.
Unfortunately, the threats continue to grow for our coast. State and federal leaders have sought to open South Carolina’s shores to offshore oil and gas drilling. Short-sighted developers have tried to build on fragile coastal areas prone to both flooding and loss of shorelines. Lawmakers have tried to undo 30-year policies prohibiting ineffective seawalls in order to benefit a select few landowners. And access to coastal fishing and boating opportunities is becoming more and more limited for South Carolinians.
CVSC remains ready to defend our coastal waters from these threat should they arise again. At the same time, we are invested in finding ways for South Carolina’s coastal communities to live in conjunction with our fragile and ever-changing shoreline, allowing South Carolinians to enjoy our waterways and fisheries while lessening the human impact on both.
Questions about our water work?
Contact Land, Water, Ocean Project Manager, Zach Bjur.
Our Impact
South Carolina is changing fast, and so are the challenges facing our environment. In response, CVSC has launched a bold 10-year Strategic Plan—a roadmap for achieving ambitious, long-term solutions to the state’s most pressing environmental threats. The plan focuses on electing conservation-minded leaders, protecting the spaces that sustain us, advancing clean energy, safeguarding water, and ensuring every South Carolinian has a voice in environmental decision-making.