COLUMBIA, S.C. - With memories of the state's five-year drought still lingering, Gov. Mark Sanford has ordered a committee to review the state's water laws and make recommendations to the General Assembly.

The 18-member group of legislators, state agency leaders and local water and sewer officials met for the first time Friday.

Committee chairman Steven Spitz, a law professor at the University of South Carolina, said the group will create a Web site and form subcommittees to deal with pressing issues, like whether South Carolina should enter compacts with neighboring states.

The state shares most of its rivers with Georgia or North Carolina and during the drought's peak last fall, 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 South Carolina to avoid saltwater contamination and helped industries along the Pee Dee River avoid shutdowns or slowdowns.

"I know exactly how potentially serious those issues are," said Spitz, referring to South Carolina's dependence on North Carolina.

But the concerns aren't all to the north.

Officials worry Atlanta's thirst for water from Savannah River. Growth in Atlanta forced the metropolitan city to seek new water sources even before the five-year-old drought.

Spitz said the committee wouldn't be able to solve those complex issues during the first meeting, but hoped to offer recommendations before the Legislature convenes in January.

"When there's enough water, this is an issue we don't care about," Spitz said. "It's when there's a shortage ... then we're fighting among ourselves and with our neighbors."

That's what the committee hopes to avoid.

The state's chief hydrologist warned that South Carolina was dangerously close to disaster last fall. Fortunately the state was able to work with North Carolina, and then, the rains came.

"Can the state run out of water?" Department of Natural Resources hydrologist Bud Badr said. "Yes, and we did run out of water."

If the drought had lasted another six months, he said, the state would have gone through a challenging time. And Badr said he doesn't know if during another drought, North Carolina will be able to release as much water downstream like it did last fall.

"I dont' know if we're going to get such luck next time," Badr said.