New Awendaw Mayor Chris Crolley, a proud environmentalist and owner of Coastal Expeditions touring company, said one of his greatest responsibilities and priorities is to preserve the rural character of the small town north of Mount Pleasant.
A big part of that hinges on the future of a previously approved development on the town’s White Tract that may ultimately have 200 homes in a dense area — each on its own septic tank waste system. The S.C. Supreme Court on Dec. 18 paused the development, but that’s only a temporary hold, said Crolley, elected in a tight runoff in November 2025.
The White Tract rests on the doorstep of one of the state’s most pristine and highest protected wilderness areas, the Cape Romain Wildlife Refuge, making potential environmental threats from any malfunctioning septic tanks all the more palpable.
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. *NOTE: James Island Public Service District only notes areas where septic tanks may be the only option.
Still, Crolley said, he hopes Awendaw will never switch over to the alternative — a sewer system.
“That’s the death knell for any rural community,” he told the Charleston City Paper. “Once you get sewer, the developers swarm like flies. Awendaw would be over. It would look like some kind of experiment gone wrong, and we would have lost all the character that made this community unique.”
So rather than fight back against septic systems like other Lowcountry towns and neighborhoods, Crolley said his goal is to fight development altogether.
“What do the people of Awendaw want most? It’s for the building to slow down
— it’s to preserve the rural community,” he said. “That’s why they live here.”
Protected lands threatened
Cape Romain and its largest barrier island, Bull Island, represent one of the largest swathes of protected lands on the east coast. More than half of its 22-mile stretch is designated as Class 1 wilderness, a federal distinction that affords the highest levels of protection and conservation.
“It’s some of the most significant protected coastal ecosystems in the country,” said S.C. Sen. Chip Campsen, R-Charleston. “To have a high-density development on septic tanks contiguous to the border of the Cape Romain Wildlife Refuge, just a stone’s throw from the waterway … will degrade the water quality and put a lot more pressure on that ecosystem.”
“I wanted Cape Romain to be in my Senate district in order to represent the natural resources,” he said. “If anyone wanted to mess with Cape Romain, I wanted them to have to deal with me first. I had hoped that day would never come, but now it has.”
Campsen said he has been outspoken against this development since it was first proposed.
“I grew up here,” he said. “I’ve spent a lifetime hunting and fishing and surfing these coastal resources. Anyone who really embraces and spends a lot of time there, if they have any appreciation for nature whatsoever, you can’t help but fall in love with it and want to protect it.”
Crolley agreed, adding that even if the lands weren’t federally protected, he would stand against the development.
“It’s not just about the law, what developers are legally allowed to do,” he said. “I’m framing this around what’s moral. This is just a bad place to develop.”
Septic tanks still a concern
While Crolley said his primary goal isn’t to eliminate septic tanks in Awendaw, environmental advocates across the Lowcountry have sounded the alarm about the danger they pose to surrounding environments.
“Septic tanks, even working ones, can be sources of bacteria and nutrient pollution in our coastal waterways,” Andrew Wunderley, executive director of Charleston Waterkeeper, said in a Dec. 25 report in the City Paper. “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.”
Mount Pleasant is aiming to be a model for how to address these impacts, according to Mount Pleasant Waterworks General Manager Allan Clum. The town recently received a National Environmental Achievement Award from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies for its initiative to manage and abate septic tanks.
Crolley, however, said as long as the developments are small and spaced out, proper maintenance of the septic tanks are much less of a threat. He said he plans to introduce a building moratorium for the town until he can establish some ordinances that slow development and enforce stronger respect for the environment.
“Any developer who’s listening out there and paying attention: It’s a new day in Awendaw,” Crolley said. “The days of land grab and unsophisticated documents that let you have your way with the landscape are over. If you come — and we’d love to have you — don’t be developers. Be home-builders.”
Editor’s note: This is part two of a new occasional series following environmental policies to make the Lowcountry greener. The first installment (Dec. 26) focused on how other Lowcountry leaders were pushing against septic tanks.
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