Hayes' bill would create a permanent Catawba River Basin Bi-State Commission to guide governments in shaping policies that protect water quality and quantity. The proposed Catawba commission would also help iron out usage disputes between the two Carolinas.

"You may want to pass a mirror act," Vang told several members of a water laws commission subcommittee Friday. "But it needs to be greater than just the Catawba-Wateree Basin or the Pee Dee. Maybe we could expand on Sen. Hayes' bill."

One third of the state's water supply comes from North Carolina. While the S.C. Su-preme Court has established that water is too important to be owned by one person, water is viewed more as a commodity in North Carolina and, increasingly, in Georgia.

Never was this made more clear than during the worst recorded drought in state history that ended in 2002. Last summer, the Grand Strand was about two weeks away from running out of water due to saltwater backups caused by low flow, said Bud Badr, DNR's chief of hydrology. State officials approached Alcoa to release more water into the Pee Dee River from the Yadkin River dams and reservoirs the company owns in eastern North Carolina. Initially, the company demanded that the state pay what could have amounted to millions of dollars to meet the request, Badr said.

"We had to threaten Alcoa," Badr said. "I had to tell them my boss would go to CNN."

The company backed off its demands for money. An Alcoa spokesman said at the time that despite the financial losses the company would incur, the company realized it was "the right thing to do."

Growth, droughts pose dangers

But South Carolina officials worry if interstate water protocol is not established, population growth and future droughts could expose the state to water shortages and unprecedented costs.

"If we have another drought, we don't want to have to go and kiss their hands and beg for water," Badr said.

The state must seize the window of opportunity presented by the federal relicensing process facing many hydropower reservoirs in the Carolinas over the next few years, Vang said. Federal energy licenses are reissued only once every 30 to 50 years. The licenses specify minimum release levels to guarantee downstream flow. Vang said the state must take advantage of the leverage it temporarily possesses to insist on new rules.

DNR asked Gov. Mark San-ford to establish the 19-member water law review commission this summer. The state's water laws have not been reviewed comprehensively in 20 years, Vang said. The commission is now gathering information and will issue recommendations in January.

The full water laws review commission will meet Tuesday in Columbia.

Contact Karen Addy at (803) 256-3800 or mailto:kaddy@heraldonline.com