Water Users’ Perspectives: Summary of Withdrawal Survey Responses and Commentary

Abstract

The state of South Carolina is currently in a multiyear process of updating the State Water Plan, and water demand projections are an important component of that work. Predictions of water demand are inherently uncertain, but perhaps they can benefit from input by a diverse and robust sample of water users. A brief survey regarding water use was distributed to 780 permitted and registered water users in the state, including all water suppliers, industries, and irrigators withdrawing more than 3 million gallons in a month or more than 100,000 gallons in a day. There are 316 responses to 10 quantitative survey items that are summarized, presented, and discussed. Results indicate that most respondents plan to maintain their current levels of water use, consider their withdrawal reports to be accurate within 10%, and believe their current water supplies to be critical to their enterprise. A qualitative review of comments noted on survey responses includes a variety of potential drivers of water demand. The results motivate a discussion of recommendations for future research.