SENECA — Salem and Walhalla joined representatives from Pickens County to discuss their longterm water supply needs during a roundtable discussion hosted by Duke Energy on Wednesday.

The discussion is relevant to the parties involved in light of water levels in South Carolina and much of the Southeast, which remain well below normal despite recent rain due to a prolonged drought in the region.

Salem Mayor Diane Head and Salem Town Councilman Tony Grogan sat in on the mostly informational session, as did Walhalla Mayor Randy Chastain, Walhalla City Councilman William Addis and Walhalla Utilities Director Scott Parris.

Larry Breazeale, chairman of the Pickens County Water Authority, also attended the meeting along with town water officials with Six Mile.

Kevin Mosteller of HDR Engineering, a consultant for Duke Energy, facilitated the discussion.

Among other topics, the group addressed finding a regional approach to solving water issues.

Of those participating, only Walhalla is in the process of applying to intake water from Lake Keowee, which is controlled by Duke Energy. Parris said the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) has approved the city’s preliminary engineering report (PER) for drawing water from Lake Keowee.

“We’re making minor updates to the PER,” Parris said. “We’re ready to start permitting.”

Walhalla put in place mandatory water restrictions last summer when drought conditions worsened and the city’s source of water — Coneross Creek — came close to drying up, Parris told the group.

Salem, which had an opportunity to apply jointly with Walhalla to intake from Lake Keowee but backed out of the plan, relies heavily on Seneca for much of its water. Grogan said Salem has a 17-year contract with Seneca to purchase water. Lake Keowee supplies Seneca with its water.

Grogan said Salem came to the table to “open channels of communications” with others in the region.

Breazeale said Pickens County is teaming with the Clemson University Restoration Institute to look at its water needs for the next 25 to 30 years. He said Pickens County needs to move from a “hodge-podge system” to a regionalized approach to addressing its long-term water needs.

Breazeale added that while jurisdictions are good at making sure their individual needs are met, “there’s a lack of regional planning.”

The group also heard from Mike Bailes, plant manager of the Catawba River Water Supply Project, a unique joint venture between Lancaster County, S.C. and Union County, N.C.

Bailes said the two counties entered into a contract to split costs associated with drawing water from the Catawba River and treating it.

Bailes said he never expected for capacity at the plant to reach 12 million gallons per day in his lifetime. However, the two counties have expanded the plant capacity to a maximum of 54 million gallons per day. It currently uses 32 million gpd, Bailes said.

As a result of the joint venture, Union and Lancaster produce water at a cost to them of 47 cents per 1,000 gallons. Bailes said an additional cost of 2 cents per 1,000 gallons is added that goes to a capital replacement fund.

Bailes had no comment when asked about the pending federal lawsuit brought by South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster against North Carolina about rights to Catawba River water.

The lawsuit claims interbasin transfers approved by North Carolina keep South Carolina from receiving its equitable flow. In January, the U.S. Supreme Court appointed Judge Kristin Linsley Myles of San Francisco as special master in the case, which means the high court has accepted the case in its original jurisdiction without arguments being aired first in state supreme court.

Published reports say both Duke Energy and the Catawba River Water Supply Project have asked to intervene in the case to protect their interests.

According to reports, Duke wants to have a say in the case because it contends that its current model of water allocation throughout both states could be compromised by a decision to apportion water from the Catawba River. Duke manages the lakes and river reaches of the Catawba.