The South Carolina Supreme Court on Dec. 18 paused the proposed development of a new community in Awendaw that would have brought about 200 septic tank-dependent homes across 182 acres on the town’s vulnerable White Tract.
The move comes after months of pushback from residents and environmental advocates and reflects a broader push against septic tank systems and the dangers they pose to the Lowcountry’s sensitive waterways.
“Septic tanks, even working ones, can be sources of bacteria and nutrient pollution in our coastal waterways,” said Andrew Wunderley, executive director of Charleston Waterkeeper.
“When a septic system is improperly sited or installed, leaks or is flooded, microbial and nutrient pollution move into nearby waterways and marshes.
“That means swimming and other water-based recreational activities can expose people to disease-causing pathogens. It can also lead to closure of oyster beds for harvesting.”
Wunderley and other waterkeepers see the damage firsthand as the organization tracks bacteria levels in several creeks and rivers across the Lowcountry. After heavy rain and flooding, bacteria rates spike beyond dangerous levels, often due to improperly maintained or the sheer volume of septic tanks in the affected area.
The red in this map reflects areas in Charleston County where septic tank use for effluent is typical and highlights opportunities for water systems to connect neighborhoods to sewer systems to reduce environmental impacts from septic wastewater.
“This isn’t the kind of thing that usually makes the front page or people stand around at Christmas parties talking about,” said Mount Pleasant Mayor Will Haynie, who has a background in environmental conservation. “But it’s some of the most important work that I do as an elected official.”
For the last three years at the end of summer, the Charleston City Paper has offered special reports on polluted county creeks, most of which suffer in water quality because of leaks from septic tanks. Read our Sept. 5, 2025 report. (http://bit.ly/4pGXpe1)
James Island working to expand sewer
James Island is a patchwork of water and sewer systems, with parts of the island falling under the service area of Charleston Water System (CWS) — which provides water and sewer to customers — and others under the James Island Public Service District (PSD) — which provides only sewer.
CWS spokesman Michael Saia said solutions on the sea island are difficult to find. Several residents on existing septic systems are in low-income communities, making the often-expensive transition to sewer systems challenging. And a service area-wide ordinance to force new developments on sewer would drive up the cost of new homes.
“When you look at environmental concerns, you have to ask yourself, does that outweigh the economic hardship that may be imposed on homeowners otherwise?” Saia said. “There are many thousands of people in that situation. An ordinance like that would be an impossibility for thousands and thousands of our customers.”
PSD Executive Director Ashley Kellahan said she is first looking at expanding the existing sewer system to reach communities better that don’t have access to the infrastructure. The S.C. Rural Infrastructure Authority (SCIIP) recently gave grant funding to the PSD for its Clarks Point service expansion project, which is set to bring sewer connectivity to about 185 additional properties.
“James Island Creek Watershed was identified by DHEC [the former state Department of Health and Environmental Control] as an impaired waterway due to fecal bacteria,” Kellahan said. “That really ties back to failing septic systems along the watershed, and this neighborhood is one of those. … This is one of the main reasons we were successful in receiving this grant.”
Mount Pleasant aims to be a model
North of the Cooper River, Mount Pleasant infrastructure leaders are looking to lead the way for the Lowcountry’s solutions to failing septic systems. A town ordinance already instructs developers to connect any new properties to existing sewer lines, if they are available.
“We have handled the septic situation very differently than Charleson and James Island,” said Mount Pleasant Waterworks General Manager Allan Clum. “In fact, we just received an award because of the way we’re handling it.”
Mount Pleasant Waterworks received a National Environmental Achievement Award from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies for its initiative to manage and abate septic tanks. But having new developments connect is only part of the solution, Clum said, and close neighbors like Awendaw are not bound by the Mount Pleasant ordinance.
“The more important part of the issue is existing septic tanks,” he said. “And that’s where we have made such strides. … In 2021, we changed local law to allow individuals in the county with an existing septic tank to tie into our sewer system. To help with that financial burden, we provided a clean water credit. We post $4,500 in assistance for those impact fees, and if you’re in the town of Mount Pleasant, they will match it to a total of $9,000.”
Since the average cost of conversion to a sewer system is about $10,000, Mount Pleasant residents can get their water system switched over for a small fraction of the typical cost.
And for those who fall outside of the service’s reach, the utility has other options. Customers can pay $15 per month to have professionals inspect and service septic tanks to ensure public health standards are met and the surrounding environment is impacted as little as possible.”
“It’s only a pilot study,” Clum said, but the service already has 50 users. He said it is a model program that other utilities should start looking at.
This is a new occasional series following environmental policies to make the Lowcountry greener.
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