(Published January 7‚ 2004)

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - South Carolina should seek water agreements with its neighbors to the north and south, says a governor's committee asked to review the state's water laws.

The state should immediately begin working on a compact with Georgia, which shares the Savannah River with the Palmetto state, the Gov.'s Water Law Review Committee recommended Tuesday.

Officials need to act soon because the Atlanta metropolitan is growing. Some said it could take years to work out.

"What we do in the next 18 months is going to set the standards for water in this state for the next 50 years," said Freddy Vang, who heads the S.C. Department of Natural Resources' water division.

But the water worries weren't all south.

The state needs to improve communications with North Carolina, the committee said.

South Carolina shares most of its rivers with Georgia or North Carolina and during the five-year drought's peak in 2002, South Carolina had to broker a deal with North Carolina to ensure enough water was released from upstream dams.

The deal enabled drinking water intakes in South Carolina to avoid saltwater contamination and helped industries along the Pee Dee River avoid shutdowns or slowdowns.

"The Gov.'s Office needs to ensure that the existing cooperation between the state agencies participating in this process continues, and results in a single unified state position that protects our quality of life, " the report said. "This is a critical issue to the near and long-term future of South Carolina."

Georgia water resources officials have indicated a willingness to talk with S.C. officials, but both sides say it's too early to determine whether a compact is desirable or can be reached.

"The goal is to encourage a neighbor state to come to the table," said University of South Carolina law professor Stephen Spitz, who headed the governor's committee.

The committee also suggested that the state establish minimum water flow standards to keep rivers and streams healthy and regulate the amount of water that can be pumped out of those waterways.

Currently, the state regulates how much pollutant can be released into waterways but not how much water can be taken out.

Dana Beach, director of the S.C. Coastal Conservation League, said the recommendations would be major, positive changes. Several members of the committee expressed concerns that limiting water withdrawals could hurt industries that rely on water supply.

The committee also said the state should seriously consider developing reservoirs, which could be constructed next to a river, rather than damming the river, making it less damaging to the ecosystem.

Sanford is under no obligation to act on the recommendations, but committee members hope the report will lead to legislative action on water regulations inside and outside the state.