SC’s new water plan hopes to serve as a 'road map’ while emerging technologies come into play By Anna Wilder Dec 12, 2025 COLUMBIA — South Carolina leaders unveiled the latest version of a statewide plan to conserve and manage the state’s water as rapid population growth and new energy proposals increase pressure on available resources.
Gov. Henry McMaster and S.C. Department of Environmental Services Director Myra Reece presented the plan at the Statehouse alongside industry leaders and other stakeholders Dec. 11.
The 181-page report was described as a “road map” and a “living document” that cannot necessarily predict the future, but was designed to prepare the state for emerging challenges or potential disasters by outlining what water resources exist today and how they can be responsibly managed.
But the plan still leaves room for pause. Questions surrounding data centers and greater energy needs are still being worked out as the department and state try to catch up to some of the possible effects of technological advancements.
South Carolina is at a good point with water availability right now, Reece affirmed. But effective water management must begin with a clear understanding of existing supplies and where the state is headed.
“South Carolina’s water resources are abundant today, but drought, poor management and poor planning can quickly impact our water availability,” Reece said. “Our water resources are not limitless. They shift with the seasons and the demands we place upon them.”
In Sept. 2024, McMaster created WaterSC, which brought representatives together from a variety of areas to submit an updated water plan by Dec. 31, 2025.
The plan that was presented outlined a number of key findings, including the availability of surface water and groundwater across the Palmetto State.
South Carolinians use about 5.9 billion gallons of water a day. Reece said that is enough to fill the Peachoid — the iconic Gaffney water tower — nearly 1,000 times daily.
The report showed that statewide, hydroelectric facilities have by far the largest water demands in the state, currently taking up 80 percent of usage.
An entire chapter also examines worst-case drought scenarios.
“Droughts are a threat,” McMaster said. “There is not much we can do to stop them other than manage our water wisely. That is why it is so important for us next year to start prioritizing areas, recommendations and the issues that have been raised.”
Reece said she feels confident about the condition of the state’s major water bodies. She noted that interbasin transfers were among the recommendations included in the plan, along with closer evaluation of smaller or stressed regions. Some inland areas face “cones of depression,” where groundwater levels have dropped and utilities are drawing from other aquifers.
Critics have questioned the threat to the state's water resources posed by new data centers.
In the updated water plan, data centers are referenced a few times, including that one can use anywhere from "0.1 million gallons per year (36.5 MGD) to 1.4 billion gallons per year.”
"Changes to water demands from energy production facilities and from the growing industry associated with data centers represent an uncertainty with the current projections,” the plan states. “Future updates to River Basin Plans and the State Water Plan will include revisions to these projections based on the ever-changing state of development."
Data centers weren’t on the department's radar when the agency was doing projections, leaders said at the press conference Dec. 11. But the department continuously collects information on them. They added that they hope data centers will open where there is enough water and electricity so they do not become a burden.
Jeff Uphues, CEO of DC Blox, a digital infrastructure provider creating data centers, said there are misconceptions about how much water data centers use. He said the systems reuse a lot of the water that they intake, and the data centers being built today are very different from ones that may have utilized water and energy 10 years ago.
He added that, depending on its size and power usage, a typical data center using modern cooling technology for AI and cloud workloads consumes about as much water per month as average households.
DES leaders stressed that conservation should be the first line of defense. They urged residents to adopt small habits, such as turning off the tap while brushing teeth, to help protect the state’s water supply.
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