Known for its beautiful beaches and marshlands, coastal South Carolina has seen a 20 percent population increase over the past decades, which in turn has led to an increase in land covered by impervious surfaces such as roads and parking lots. This has led to higher volumes of stormwater runoff, which heightens flood risk and degrades water quality. Climate change will only make this problem worse. To address these challenges, South Carolina decision-makers will need locally relevant information and guidance to help them implement innovative low impact development (LID) techniques that mimic natural landscapes and hydrologic processes. The ACE Basin and North Inlet-Winyah Bay Reserves collaborated with stakeholders and partners on a 2012 Collaborative Research project to address the barriers that keep communities from embracing this approach.

This spreadsheet was designed by the project team to help property owners and designers properly size rainwater harvesting systems in South Carolina.