Public Involvement and Participation

How you can help?

For volunteer opportunities or to report any types of pollution contact the Stormwater office at 545-3524.

Public Notices

Information on this project and any other project is available for public inspection at our office.

Public Meetings

County Council Meetings: 5:30 PM, 2nd & 4th Tuesday of each month

Stormwater Advisory Committee (SWAC)

A committee of stakeholders formed to support the County's Stormwater Management Division on permit program elements and help communicate between the division and the overall community. A SWAC is an avenue for county residents, business owners, and visitors to address stormwater concerns, volunteer for community stormwater events, promote awareness of water quality, and provide overall support to the division for items such as variances.

Volunteer Water-Quality Monitoring

Since June 2008, four teams of volunteers have been measuring water quality biweekly at eight sites in the Murrells Inlet watershed. The US EPA has been promoting volunteer monitoring since the 1970s for two reasons. First, it enables collection of data that most state agencies are too underfunded to obtain on their own. Second, it engages the community in a stewardship activity that promotes environmental awareness and responsibility.

As of 2006, the federal Clean Water Act requires the counties and cities in the Grand Strand to reduce polluted stormwater runoff by developing and implementing their own stormwater management plans. The US EPA recognizes volunteer monitoring as an important component of these local efforts. For this reason, the town of Surfside Beach, Georgetown and Horry counties are jointly funding the Murrells Inlet volunteer monitoring program.

The US EPA has provided comprehensive guidance to help volunteer monitoring groups. This guidance includes scientific information along with advices as to how to get data officially recognized and used by regulatory agencies. These guidelines were used in the design of the Murrells Inlet volunteer monitoring program. The US EPA's website on volunteer monitoring Is located at: www.epa.gov/owow/monitoring/volunteer/. Coastal Carolina University Waccamaw Watershed Academny Volunteer Program for Murrells Inlet website can be visited here: www.coastal.edu/wwa/vm/mi/.

Storm Drain Stenciling

When was the last time you noticed the local storm drain on your street? Many streets and parking lots have storm drains. These drains help remove storm water that might otherwise accumulate on these impervious surfaces and cause flooding. They almost always lead directly to local waterways, including streams, rivers and lakes without being treated to remove pollutants. Because storm water travels across streets, driveways, yards, or parking lots before entering a drain, it can accumulate contaminants such as oil, antifreeze, gasoline, soil, litter, pet waste, yard care chemicals, and yard waste.

If runoff from only one yard entered a local waterway through the storm drain, water quality might not be affected very much. However, when runoff from hundreds or thousands of yards or parking lots enters a waterway, the effect on water quality is more significant. Cumulative effects of polluted storm water from one community can cause beach closings, excessive aquatic plant growth, or degraded water quality which can affect fish and others aquatic organisms' survival.

You can help educate others about the fate of storm water runoff through our storm drains by stenciling a message next to storm drains in your local area. Please contact our office if you would like to help!

Murrells Inlet Cub Scout Pack 396 helping out! Photo 1 Photo 2

Pet Waste Stations

Pet owners, take notice . . . When you clean up after your pet, do you dump the waste in the street or storm sewer? Do you leave it to decay on the sidewalk or the grass near the street? If so, you may be causing pollution or health problems.

According to recent research, non-human waste represents a significant source of bacterial contamination in local watersheds. Pet waste can also be a factor in eutrophication of lakes. The release of nutrients from the decay of pet waste promotes weed and algae growth, limiting light penetration and the growth of aquatic vegetation. This in turn can reduce oxygen levels in the water, affecting fish and other aquatic organisms.Pets, children who play outside, and adults who garden are most at risk for infection from some of the bacteria and parasites found in pet waste.

Georgetown County has placed six pet waste stations within the Murrells Inlet MS4 area in order to promote citizens to pick up after their pets and enhance water quality.

Location Map

Rain Gardens

Rain gardens have become a popular and attractive method for property owners to decrease the impact of their impervious surfaces. Rain gardens are landscaped depressions that receive stormwater runoff and allow the runoff to slowly infiltrate to the groundwater table, removing pollutants that otherwise would have affected the water quality of Georgetown County. The County has cooperated with local agencies and organizations to install a rain garden at Georgetown High School and at Morse Park in Murrells Inlet.

Georgetown High School Rain Garden: Photo 1 - Photo 2 - Photo 3

Murrells Inlet Morse Park Rain Garden: Photo 1- Photo 2- Photo 3