Florence Darlington Stormwater Consortium

After heavy rain, it's best to stay out of lakes, rivers and the ocean. Rain can wash bacteria and other contaminants into natural waters, increasing the risk of illness.

Before you swim:
💠 Check beach swimming advisories.
💠 Avoid water that's discolored, has a foul odor, contains algae or foam, or has dead fish or wildlife nearby.

A little caution goes a long way toward a safe summer. Learn more at scdes.sc.gov.

Today makes a week since we kicked off our Florence County 4H2O camp. Check out all of the fun that was had!

Another fun activity we had in May was macroinvertebrate sampling and identification with students from Endeavor Homeschool Co-op as part of a lesson on water quality. The river was low but students still managed to sample some interesting macroinvertebrates!

Thank you to one of our students from the Make-and-Take Rain Barrel Workshop for spreading the word about the benefits of rainwater harvesting!

Our Make-and-Take Rain Barrel Workshop back in May was a great success! Participants learned about the benefits of rainwater harvesting, installation and maintenance of rain barrels, and had the opportunity to assemble their own rain barrels to take home with them!

We had such a great time teaching the kids at Power of Progeny camp about protecting our watersheds a couple of weeks ago!

Approximately 63% of Florence's drinking water comes from groundwater drawn from the Crouch Branch and McQueen Branch aquifers. The City operates 33 wells at 14 groundwater treatment plants, with wells averaging 135 feet deep in the Crouch Branch Aquifer and 350 feet deep in the McQueen Branch Aquifer.

The presence of iron in Florence's water is a natural result of the iron-rich geology of the Atlantic Coastal Plain. As groundwater moves through these underground formations, it naturally encounters iron-bearing minerals. While treatment removes the vast majority of iron, trace amounts may remain and accumulate within water mains over time. Water discoloration can occur when construction, line repairs, or other system disturbances stir up these deposits. These occurrences are often more noticeable in areas with dead-end lines and lower water usage.

Although discoloration may affect the appearance of the water, it does not impact its safety. Florence's drinking water continues to meet all state and federal water quality standards. To help reduce these occurrences, the City is removing dead-end lines and gradually transitioning more of the water system to the Frank E. Willis P*e Dee River Regional Water Treatment Plant, reducing reliance on groundwater sources over time.

For more information, visit our Water Portal: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/5d9434831c874cfca68bc2e89f88b3d9.

To learn more about RISE and the City's long-term infrastructure improvement plans, visit: https://www.cityofflorencesc.gov/rise.

SCDES has expanded the Recreational Watch for a Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) in a small area of Lake Murray due to SCDES staff observations and samples collected on June 10th. Cyanotoxin concentrations from June 10 samples are currently low and below state recreational criteria. The Recreational Watch area for Lake Murray incorporates the Clouds Creek arm to below the Indian Creek arm. SCDES's Algal Bloom Monitoring Map (https://scdes.maps.arcgis.com/.../webappviewer/index.html...) has been updated to reflect this Recreational Watch.

On June 10, SCDES’s Aquatic Science Division (ASD) team surveyed Lake Hartwell again and collected water samples from three locations. Based on the latest data, SCDES has maintained the HAB Watch in the Coneross Creek lake arm. The bloom appeared diminished in some areas. However, it is advised to continue to use caution in areas where the bloom is observed.

For both Lake Murray and Lake Hartwell SCDES recommends:
• surveying the lake area before swimming or recreating
• avoiding direct contact with lake water in areas where the HAB is observed
• keeping pets and animals from swimming in or drinking from the lake in areas where the HAB is observed

HABs are a common, natural occurrence in lakes, but they can cause health impacts to people or pets that come into contact with the algae. Learn more at des.sc.gov/habs.

For more information or to report a possible algal bloom sighting, contact SCDES’s Bureau of Water HAB hotline at 803-898-8374 or e-mail [email protected]. If calling after hours, please leave a message that can be returned.