North Myrtle Beach overusing Myrtle Beach water lines without paying, leading to lawsuit
Myrtle Beach’s water transmission pipes have been overburdened by North Myrtle Beach, and Myrtle Beach officials want their northern neighbors to start paying up.
Myrtle Beach sued North Myrtle Beach for breach of contract, alleging North Myrtle Beach has exceeded its allowable usage of the water lines without helping to fund needed maintenance and improvements to the system.
A North Myrtle Beach spokeswoman declined to comment on the pending litigation. North Myrtle Beach Mayor Marilyn Hatley, who was not aware of the lawsuit before being contacted by The Sun News, said she had recently heard from city staff about the dispute over lack of payment. She was confident North Myrtle Beach officials would “do what’s right,” she said.
The lawsuit states that Myrtle Beach “attempted to amicably resolve these issues” with North Myrtle Beach “to no avail.” The suit does not specify how much money Myrtle Beach believes it is owed.
The dispute dates back to a 1990 agreement between the two cities, the complaint states, with North Myrtle Beach purchasing capacity and transmission from Myrtle Beach’s water treatment plant along 10th Avenue North. Myrtle Beach sold the plant in 2006 to Grand Strand Water and Sewer Authority, but maintained control of the nearly 14 miles worth of transmission lines, according to the suit.
North Myrtle Beach stopped making payments to Myrtle Beach after that sale, despite continuing to use the transmission lines, and increased population has led to North Myrtle Beach doubling its water use through that system from about 800 million gallons per year in 2006 to more than 1.6 billion gallons per year in 2024, the complaint alleges.
That excess demand from North Myrtle Beach has severely damaged Myrtle Beach’s water distribution system, leading to burst pipes, lower pressure and a shortened lifespan, the suit states.
“NMB’s damage to MB’s water transmission system forced MB to consult with engineering firms which warned that, under current conditions, the system poses a risk to public safety,” according to the complaint.
A voicemail left for Myrtle Beach’s public works director seeking more information on this alleged public safety risk was not immediately returned. The Sun News submitted a Freedom of Information Act request seeking any reports from engineering firms that describe the condition of the city’s water transmission system.
A contractor began work last August on a new waterline in Myrtle Beach along Old Bryan Drive, but it’s unclear if this project is meant to fully address the issues referenced in this lawsuit. The new waterline, which is funded by a South Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority grant, is part one of a four-phase project, according to city officials.
“It will ensure the growing numbers of City of Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach residents always have a steady supply of drinking water,” the city wrote on its Facebook page.
