Is Aiken, SC tap water safe?
Supplied by City of Aiken · serves 51,533 people (22,922 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID SC0210001
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Most of Aiken gets its water from City of Aiken. Parts of the city are served by 5 smaller systems: Montmorenci Water District (4,006 people), College Acres Public Water District (1,360 people), City of Aiken-Vale Service C (145 people), Cameron MHP (83 people) and 1 more. Your water bill names your system.
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Detected, below limit2 of 29 PFAS found at least once. All averages below the federal limits.
- Lead
- Below action level2.7 ppb (parts per billion) at the 90th percentile: 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below it. Action level 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb in Nov 2027. Monitoring period Jan 2024 – now, still in progress (results reported so far). Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- Resolved7 health-based violations since 2016, most recently Jul 2021.
- Built before 1986, or not sure what your service line is made of? Check your service line and test your tap. Utility data can't show your pipes.
- Want to reduce what was found? Filters for these results.
- Tested your own tap? Compare your result with these numbers. Moving? Compare this system with another.
- Read City of Aiken's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report). It lists every regulated contaminant tested and is usually on the utility's website or mailed with your bill, and you can also request it at (803) 642-7629. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 5 entry points tested Mar 2025 to Apr 2026. "Average" is the highest entry-point average (non-detects counted as zero), the way EPA compares UCMR 5 results to the limits. ppt = parts per trillion. These results do not determine compliance.
| Contaminant | Highest average |
|---|---|
| PFOA Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFOS Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFHxS Detected, below limit Limit 10 ppt | 0.8 ppt 8% of the limit |
| PFNA Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| Hazard Index (a combined score for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and PFBS, where above 1 is over the limit) Detected, below limit Limit 1 | 0.08 |
| PFBS Detected, below limit Guideline 2,000 ppt | 1.55 ppt |
| PFBA Not detected Guideline 6,000 ppt | – |
| PFHxA Not detected Guideline 3,000 ppt | – |
29 PFAS tested, 2 detected at least once. "Not detected" means below EPA's reporting limit (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical), not proven zero. PFAS not listed were not detected. The limits for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and the Hazard Index were proposed for rescission in May 2026. That proposal is not final. Systems have until 2029 to meet the limits.
Lithium
Not detected in 12 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 2.7 ppb lead (Jan 2024 – now (in progress)). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 3 ppb (Dec 2017).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2024 – now (in progress) | 2.7 ppb |
| Jan 2021 – Dec 2023 | 0.82 ppb |
| Jan 2018 – Dec 2020 | 2.7 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2015 – Dec 2017 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 2012 – Dec 2014 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2009 – Dec 2011 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2006 – Dec 2008 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2003 – Dec 2005 | 6.2 ppb |
| Jan 2000 – Dec 2002 | 1.7 ppb |
| Jan 1997 – Dec 1999 | 12.7 ppb |
| Jan 1996 – Dec 1996 | 5 ppb |
| Jul 1993 – Sep 1996 | 5 ppb |
Lead comes from pipes and fixtures, not the source water, so it varies home to home. The 90th percentile means 9 in 10 sampled homes were at or below it. More on lead.
Violations
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| Jan 2021 – Jul 2021 7 times | The system did not have a certified operator running treatment, as required. EPA record: Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule · Treatment Technique No Certif. Operator (limit ) Resolved |
Health-based violations mean a contaminant exceeded a limit or a required treatment step was missed. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or reports were late or missing, so the water's quality during that time is unknown. The total includes every violation in EPA's records, most of them paperwork.
Earlier EPA testing (2013–2020)
| Contaminant | Highest | Guideline |
|---|---|---|
| Manganese | 25.9 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.027 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Chromium-6 | 0.11 ppb | – |
| Vanadium | 0.27 ppb | 21 ppb |
Where it serves
Aiken
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 29801, 29802, 29803, 29804, 29805
Nearby utilities
- Saluda Commission of Public Works Saluda · 33 mi · PFAS above limit
- Saluda County Water & Sewer Authority Saluda · 33 mi · PFAS above limit
- McCormick County Water & Sewer Authority McCormick · 42 mi · PFAS above limit
- Joint Municipal WSC Lexington · 43 mi · PFAS above limit
- Town of Lexington Lexington · 43 mi · PFAS above limit
- BGWC I-20 West Columbia · 48 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is Aiken tap water safe to drink?
Most of Aiken gets its water from City of Aiken. City of Aiken had 7 health-based violations since 2016, all since resolved. EPA testing found no PFAS above the federal limits. Federal data can't tell you about your own pipes: lead comes from service lines and plumbing, so test your tap if your home was built before 1986. For the official word, read the utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Does Aiken water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of City of Aiken found 2 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.
What is the lead level in Aiken water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for City of Aiken is 2.7 ppb, for the monitoring period that began Jan 2024 (still in progress). The federal action level is 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb in November 2027. The 90th percentile means 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below this number. Individual homes can be higher.
Check these numbers yourself
Every figure on this page comes from public EPA records. You don't have to take our word for it:
- EPA's own report for SC0210001: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID SC0210001).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask City of Aiken at (803) 642-7629, or see EPA's guide to finding it.
Found something that doesn't match? Tell us and we'll check it against EPA's records. How we check our data.
Source: U.S. EPA drinking water records and PFAS testing (UCMR 5). How we read the data.