Loris drought emergency: new water-use limits, surcharges start July 1, 2026

Starting July 1, 2026, the City of Loris is moving its water customers into a severe-phase drought response, with new limits on non-essential water use and surcharges for violations.

The change follows a severe drought condition declared for the Pee Dee River Basin, which includes Horry, Marion, and Dillon counties, and the City’s activation of its Drought Management Plan & Response Ordinance effective July 1.

What changes for Loris water customers on July 1

Under the City’s severe drought policy, excess charges begin after 6,000 gallons per month of usage.

The City asks customers to reduce daily essential usage as much as possible and eliminate all non-essential water usage during this time.

Irrigation timing: the City says any irrigation use should occur outside the hours of 6:00 am – 9:00 am.

Non-essential water use restrictions (mandatory)

During the City’s Severe Drought Phase, the following restrictions apply to non-essential water use:

Eliminate the washing down of sidewalks, walkways, driveways, parking lots, tennis courts and other hard-surfaced areas
Eliminate the washing down of buildings for purposes other than immediate fire protection
Eliminate the flushing of gutters
Eliminate domestic washing of cars, boats, other motorized vehicles, etc.
Eliminate the use of water to maintain fountains, reflection ponds and decorative water bodies for aesthetic or scenic purposes, except where necessary to support aquatic life
Eliminate the filling or maintaining swimming pools
Eliminate obtaining water from fire hydrants for construction purposes, fire drills or any purpose other than fire-fighting or flushing necessary to maintain water quality

How penalties and enforcement work

The City’s policy lays out an enforcement ladder tied to repeated noncompliance with the mandatory restrictions:

Written notice if a customer fails to comply with the mandatory water use restrictions
1st violation: $25.00 surcharge added to the customer’s water bill
2nd violation: an additional $50.00 surcharge added to the customer’s water bill
3rd violation: the customer’s water service shall be terminated; service is restored only after payment of a $100.00 surcharge in addition to all previously assessed surcharges

Regional context: GSWSA’s severe-drought update

Grand Strand Water & Sewer Authority (GSWSA) also posted a severe-condition drought management update effective July 1, including a severe-phase reminder that excess charges begin after 6,000 gallons of usage and irrigation should occur outside 6:00–9:00 a.m.

If you receive water through a GSWSA arrangement, the authority says to contact 843-443-8200 with questions.

What residents and businesses should do now

Plan irrigation around the timing window (outside 6:00 am–9:00 am).
Stop the listed non-essential uses starting July 1—especially hard-surface washing, gutter flushing, decorative water features, and pool filling/maintenance.
Track your monthly usage so you understand when excess charges begin after 6,000 gallons per month.
Take written notices seriously: the policy escalates from written notice to surcharges and, for repeat noncompliance, possible termination.

For background on how drought monitoring connects to local curtailment rules, Drought.gov explains that South Carolina’s Drought Response Committee determines drought status (including severe conditions) at the county level and recommends curtailment of non-essential water use—recommendations public water suppliers use when enacting drought management plans and response ordinances.

Sources

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