MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - South Carolina needs to work with its neighbors to make sure it has enough water for the future, a state lawmaker warned an environmental conference on Thursday.

"We're now having water problems. It seems like they are gravitating from the west to the east," said state Sen. Bob Waldrep, chairman of the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee.

The state needs to work out how water in rivers flowing into South Carolina will be used upstream, Waldrep told about 200 people attending the South Carolina Environmental Symposium, an annual meeting of developers, businesses, environmental groups, planners and state regulators.

South Carolina especially needs to seek a water compact with Georgia because Atlanta is a major player in determining water use in the Southeast, said Waldrep, R-Anderson.

In fact, there has been some talk about building a pipeline from Lake Hartwell along the state line in the northwest corner of the state down to Atlanta, Waldrep said.

"I don't want to be paranoid about Atlanta, but there have been some population shifts here and Atlanta is a major, major player in that part of the world," he said.

Georgia might be willing to talk because they have had problems striking a water deal with Florida, spending more than $30 million in attorney fees, Waldrep said.

"It's my prayer that we will be communicating with the state of Georgia through our representatives, their governor and our governor to come up with a mediated idea about water use," he said.

Gov. Mark Sanford has created a committee to review the state's water laws and suggest changes to lawmakers.

South Carolina also needs to prepare its water resources for another devastating drought, said state Rep. Billy Witherspoon, chairman of the House Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee.

In the summer of 2002, rivers and lakes dropped to record low levels and the Pee Dee River system threatened to dry up as a four-year drought reached its peak.

Next time a drought strikes, farmers and other rural landowners could develop a series of ponds or lakes that could store water to be sold to cities or other who need it, said Witherspoon, R-Conway.

"We're going to have another drought," he warned. "It may not be in my lifetime or your lifetime. But we're going to have another drought."

Asked if state money might be used to study desalination of ocean water along the coast, Waldrep said that also might be an option.

"Water is so critical you have to explore every avenue," he said.

Earlier Thursday, developers known for building environmentally sensitive projects in South Carolina addressed the meeting.

"The thought that green-building is more expensive is hogwash," John Knott, who has he Dewees Island and now is working on the Noisette Project, which will redevelopment 3,000 acres in a heart of North Charleston.

Green-building uses recycled and nonpolluting materials and energy-efficient appliances. The idea is to feature materials and techniques residents can use to make their homes more energy efficient and environmentally friendly.

While green-building materials may cost more now, they will more than pay for themselves over the life of a building, Knott said.

David Agnew, a principal in Civitas, another development firm, said South Carolina should put more of its public resources into its downtown areas instead of sprawling out into what used to be countryside with houses, shopping centers and highways.

"If we're spending all our public resources on highways, we will have a state and nation that look like a highway," he said.