Is Bluffton, SC tap water safe?
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in the data EPA has for Bjwsa Palm Key Water System, but it has no EPA PFAS results.
Bjwsa Palm Key Water System supplies Bluffton (153 people).
Water system
Bjwsa Palm Key Water System
153 people · Groundwater · EPA ID SC2750031
No results in EPA's 2023–2025 PFAS testing (not the same as "not detected").
ppt = parts per trillion. "Highest average" is the highest average at any of the system's entry points, the way EPA compares results with the limits.
Lead: 11 ppb at the 90th percentile (Dec 2025, and 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below it) Near 2027 action level
Health-based violations since 2016: 0
Across South Carolina, 53 of 163 water systems EPA tested had PFAS above a 2024 federal limit, and 3 systems were above the lead action level in results from the last five years. South Carolina results.
Bluffton homes and lead pipes
Lead service lines and lead solder were allowed until 1986, so homes from before then are the ones to check. How to check your own line.
Housing: Census American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for Bluffton town (tables B25034, B25003). Estimates for small places have a margin of error.
How nearby cities compare
| City | PFAS | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|---|
| Hilton Head Island 11 mi Hilton Head Public Service District 1 | None above limits | 1 ppb |
| Summerville 70 mi Summerville Commission of Public Works | Above limit | 0.3 ppb |
| North Charleston 70 mi Charleston Water System | Above limit | 3.5 ppb |
| Charleston 70 mi Charleston Water System | Above limit | 3.5 ppb |
| Mount Pleasant 74 mi Mt Pleasant Waterworks | Above limit | 1 ppb |
| Goose Creek 76 mi City of Goose Creek | None above limits | 0 ppb |
Bluffton ZIP codes (1)
- 29910
Questions
Is Bluffton tap water safe to drink?
Bjwsa Palm Key Water System has had no health-based violations since 2016. Utility data can't show lead from your own pipes: if your home was built before 1986, test your tap. Your utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report is the official summary.
Who supplies water in Bluffton, SC?
Bjwsa Palm Key Water System, which serves 153 people.
Does Bluffton tap water have PFAS?
Bjwsa Palm Key Water System has no results in EPA's 2023–2025 PFAS testing, so there is no federal result. Ask the utility or your state drinking water program.
Do Bluffton homes have lead pipes?
Census estimates put 2% of Bluffton homes as built before 1980 (South Carolina: 33%). Lead service lines and lead solder were allowed until 1986, so older homes are more likely to have them. Bjwsa Palm Key Water System's service line inventory says what your line is made of. The only way to know for your home is to check the line where it enters the house and test your tap.
Source: U.S. EPA drinking water records and PFAS testing (UCMR 5). How we read the data.