South Carolina tap water quality
559 community water systems serving 4.8 million people.
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
53
systems with PFAS above a federal limit
2 million
people served by them
163
systems EPA tested for PFAS
3
systems above the lead action level
PFAS: EPA's 2023–2025 testing. Lead: results from the last five years. 3 more systems have no recent lead results in EPA's database.
Water systems with PFAS above the federal limit
Based on EPA's UCMR 5 results (2023–2025) compared to the April 2024 limits, the way EPA compares them. Systems have until 2029 to comply. Largest first.
- City of Columbia354,068 people · Surface water · South CarolinaPFOA above limitAlso: PFOS above limit · Coliform bacteria violation · HFPO-DA detected
- Charleston Water System278,771 people · Surface water · South CarolinaPFOA above limitAlso: PFOS above limit · 2 health-based violations since 2016
- Grand Strand Water & Sewer Authority/Bull Creek252,840 people · Surface water · South CarolinaPFOA above limitAlso: PFOS above limit · Lithium above screening level
- Beaufort-Jasper Water & Sewer Authority164,829 people · Surface water · South CarolinaPFOA above limitAlso: PFOS above limit · Haloacetic acids (HAA5) violation
- Mt Pleasant Waterworks91,500 people · Purchased surface water · South CarolinaPFOS above limitAlso: PFOA detected
- Summerville Commission of Public Works81,750 people · Purchased surface water · South CarolinaPFOA above limitAlso: PFOS above limit
- City of Florence79,745 people · Surface water · South CarolinaPFOS above limitAlso: PFOA detected · Lithium above screening level · 2 health-based violations since 2016
- Joint Municipal WSC54,868 people · Purchased surface water · South CarolinaPFOS above limitAlso: Haloacetic acids (HAA5) violation · PFOA detected · HFPO-DA detected
- Greenwood Commission of Public Works52,022 people · Surface water · South CarolinaPFOA above limitAlso: PFOS above limit · HFPO-DA above limit · PFAS Hazard Index above limit
- Laurens County Water & Sewer Commission44,866 people · Surface water · South CarolinaPFOA above limitAlso: PFOS above limit · HFPO-DA above limit · PFAS Hazard Index above limit
- City of North Myrtle Beach43,883 people · Purchased surface water · South CarolinaPFOA above limitAlso: PFOS above limit
- Gcwsd Waccamaw Neck Water System41,300 people · Surface water · South CarolinaPFOA above limitAlso: PFOS above limit · Haloacetic acids (HAA5) violation
- Dcwa Knightsville Water System40,141 people · Purchased surface water · South CarolinaPFOA above limitAlso: PFOS above limit
- City of West Columbia34,028 people · Surface water · South CarolinaPFOA above limitAlso: PFOS above limit · Haloacetic acids (HAA5) violation · HFPO-DA detected
- Fort Jackson Water System31,000 people · Purchased surface water · South CarolinaPFOA above limitAlso: PFOS above limit · HFPO-DA detected
- Dcws Ashley Phosphate Water System26,536 people · Purchased surface water · South CarolinaPFOA above limitAlso: PFOS above limit
- Lugoff Elgin Water Authority25,783 people · Surface water · South CarolinaPFOA above limitAlso: PFOS above limit
- Gaffney Bpw Water System24,290 people · Surface water · South CarolinaPFOA above limitAlso: PFOS above limit · PFHxS detected
- Town of Lexington24,284 people · Purchased surface water · South CarolinaPFOS above limitAlso: PFOA detected · HFPO-DA detected
- St John's Water22,592 people · Purchased surface water · South CarolinaPFOA above limitAlso: PFOS above limit
- City of Camden19,076 people · Surface water · South CarolinaPFOA above limitAlso: PFOS detected
- City of Cayce17,460 people · Surface water · South CarolinaPFOA above limitAlso: PFOS above limit · HFPO-DA detected
- City of Union13,076 people · Surface water · South CarolinaPFOA above limitAlso: PFOS detected
- BCWSA East Cooper12,933 people · Purchased surface water · South CarolinaPFOA above limitAlso: PFOS above limit · HFPO-DA detected
- Newberry County Water & Sewer Authority11,157 people · Surface water · South CarolinaPFOS above limitAlso: Haloacetic acids (HAA5) violation · PFOA detected · HFPO-DA detected
- City of Newberry10,810 people · Surface water · South CarolinaPFOA above limitAlso: PFOS above limit · Haloacetic acids (HAA5) violation · HFPO-DA detected
- Town of Winnsboro10,391 people · Surface water · South CarolinaPFOS above limitAlso: Lead near 2027 level · PFHxS detected
- Grassy Pond Water Company Inc9,895 people · Purchased surface water · South CarolinaPFOA above limitAlso: PFOS above limit · PFHxS detected
- Kiawah Island Utility9,550 people · Purchased surface water · South CarolinaPFOS above limitAlso: PFOA detected
- Isle of Palms Water & Sewer Commission9,530 people · Purchased surface water · South CarolinaPFOS above limitAlso: PFOA detected · Lithium above screening level
And 20 more in the full list of South Carolina utilities below.
South Carolina PFAS report: chart, rankings and data to download →
Largest water systems in South Carolina
- Greenville Water426,057 people · Surface water · South CarolinaNo PFAS above limits
- City of Columbia354,068 people · Surface water · South CarolinaPFOA above limitAlso: PFOS above limit · Coliform bacteria violation · HFPO-DA detected
- Charleston Water System278,771 people · Surface water · South CarolinaPFOA above limitAlso: PFOS above limit · 2 health-based violations since 2016
- Grand Strand Water & Sewer Authority/Bull Creek252,840 people · Surface water · South CarolinaPFOA above limitAlso: PFOS above limit · Lithium above screening level
- Spartanburg Water System166,364 people · Surface water · South CarolinaNo PFAS above limitsAlso: 2 health-based violations since 2016
- Beaufort-Jasper Water & Sewer Authority164,829 people · Surface water · South CarolinaPFOA above limitAlso: PFOS above limit · Haloacetic acids (HAA5) violation
- BCWSA Sangaree Water District95,345 people · Purchased surface water · South CarolinaPFOA detectedAlso: PFOS detected
- Mt Pleasant Waterworks91,500 people · Purchased surface water · South CarolinaPFOS above limitAlso: PFOA detected
- City of Rock Hill89,850 people · Surface water · South CarolinaNo PFAS above limits
- Sjwd Middle Tyger Water Treatment Plant89,531 people · Surface water · South CarolinaNo PFAS above limits
- Summerville Commission of Public Works81,750 people · Purchased surface water · South CarolinaPFOA above limitAlso: PFOS above limit
- City of Florence79,745 people · Surface water · South CarolinaPFOS above limitAlso: PFOA detected · Lithium above screening level · 2 health-based violations since 2016
- Lancaster County Water & Sewer District79,107 people · Purchased surface water · South CarolinaColiform bacteria violation
- Joint Municipal WSC54,868 people · Purchased surface water · South CarolinaPFOS above limitAlso: Haloacetic acids (HAA5) violation · PFOA detected · HFPO-DA detected
- Greer Commission of Public Works54,024 people · Surface water · South CarolinaNo PFAS above limits
South Carolina cities and towns
- Aiken
- Anderson
- Bluffton
- Charleston
- Columbia
- Conway
- Easley
- Florence
- Fort Mill
- Goose Creek
- Greenville
- Greer
- Hilton Head Island
- Lexington
- Mount Pleasant
- Myrtle Beach
- North Augusta
- North Charleston
- Rock Hill
- Simpsonville
- Spartanburg
- Summerville
- Sumter
Most health-based violations since 2016
- Sandy Run MHP41 people · Groundwater · South CarolinaGross alpha violationsAlso: Coliform bacteria violation
- Saluda County Water & Sewer Authority5,060 people · Surface water · South CarolinaPFOS above limitAlso: Total trihalomethanes (TTHM) violations · PFOA detected · HFPO-DA detected
- Saluda Commission of Public Works3,390 people · Purchased surface water · South CarolinaPFOA above limitAlso: PFOS above limit · HFPO-DA above limit · PFAS Hazard Index above limit · 11 health-based violations since 2016
- Town of Lockhart496 people · Purchased surface water · South CarolinaTotal trihalomethanes (TTHM) violations
- McCormick County Water & Sewer Authority8,500 people · Purchased surface water · South CarolinaPFOS above limitAlso: Total trihalomethanes (TTHM) violations · HFPO-DA detected
- Basin Rock MHP190 people · Groundwater · South CarolinaRadium (combined 226/228) violations
- Town of Cheraw6,325 people · Surface water · South CarolinaTotal trihalomethanes (TTHM) violationsAlso: PFOS detected
- Dewees Utilities55 people · Groundwater · South CarolinaTotal trihalomethanes (TTHM) violations
- Town of Hemingway3,191 people · Groundwater · South CarolinaTotal trihalomethanes (TTHM) violations
- City of Aiken51,533 people · Surface water · South CarolinaPFHxS detectedAlso: 7 health-based violations since 2016
- Town of Carlisle555 people · Purchased surface water · South CarolinaTotal trihalomethanes (TTHM) violations
- Jenkinsville Water Company2,550 people · Groundwater · South CarolinaGross alpha violations
- Bucksport Water Company17,123 people · Groundwater · South CarolinaTotal trihalomethanes (TTHM) violations
- McCormick Commission of Public Works1,749 people · Surface water · South CarolinaTotal trihalomethanes (TTHM) violations
- Dcws I-95 Water System102 people · Groundwater · South CarolinaTotal trihalomethanes (TTHM) violations
All South Carolina utilities on this site
Every South Carolina system serving 50,000+ people or with PFAS above a federal limit, A to Z. Download all 559 systems as CSV.
- Batesburg Leesville Dept. of Public Works
- BCWSA East Cooper
- BCWSA Sangaree Water District
- Beaufort-Jasper Water & Sewer Authority
- BGWC I-20
- Charleston Water System
- City of Abbeville
- City of Aiken
- City of Belton
- City of Camden
- City of Cayce
- City of Clinton
- City of Columbia
- City of Florence
- City of Folly Beach
- City of Georgetown
- City of Moncks Corner
- City of Newberry
- City of North Myrtle Beach
- City of Rock Hill
- City of Sumter
- City of Union
- City of West Columbia
- Darlington County Water & Sewer Authority
- Dcwa Calomet Valley Water System
- Dcwa Knightsville Water System
- Dcws Ashley Phosphate Water System
- Donalds-Due West Water & Sewer Authority
- Draytonville Water District
- Fort Jackson Water System
- Fripp Island Public Service District
- Gaffney Bpw Water System
- Gcwsd Waccamaw Neck Water System
- Goucher Water District
- Grand Strand Water & Sewer Authority/Bull Creek
- Grassy Pond Water Company Inc
- Greenville Water
- Greenwood Commission of Public Works
- Greer Commission of Public Works
- Isle of Palms Water & Sewer Commission
- Joint Municipal WSC
- Kiawah Island Utility
- Lancaster County Water & Sewer District
- Laurens County Water & Sewer Commission
- Lugoff Elgin Water Authority
- McCormick County Water & Sewer Authority
- Meansville Riley Water District
- Midcounty Water District 2
- Mt Pleasant Waterworks
- Newberry County Water & Sewer Authority
- Saluda Commission of Public Works
- Saluda County Water & Sewer Authority
- Shaw AFB
- Sjwd Middle Tyger Water Treatment Plant
- Spartanburg Water System
- St John's Water
- Summerville Commission of Public Works
- Town of Blacksburg
- Town of Honea Path
- Town of Lexington
- Town of Seabrook Island
- Town of Ware Shoals
- Town of Winnsboro
Questions
Does South Carolina tap water have PFAS?
EPA tested 163 community water systems in South Carolina for 29 PFAS between 2023 and 2025. 71 had at least one regulated PFAS detected, and 53 had an entry-point average above a 2024 federal limit. Those 53 systems serve about 2 million people (42% of people on community water in South Carolina). Systems have until 2029 to meet the limits.
How many South Carolina water systems have violations?
108 systems in South Carolina had at least one health-based violation since 2016 (267 violations in total). 150 violations are currently listed as unaddressed.
Which South Carolina water systems are over the lead action level?
3 systems had a lead 90th percentile above the 15 ppb action level in their most recent results from the last five years. Another 3 systems have no lead results in EPA's database from the last five years. Lead depends on each home's pipes, so a test of your own tap is the only way to know your level.
Source: U.S. EPA drinking water records and PFAS testing (UCMR 5). How we read the data.