Dcwa Calomet Valley Water System water quality
Summerville, SC · serves 275 people (97 connections) · Purchased surface water · Local government · EPA ID SC1850009
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Buys water from Summerville Commission of Public Works. Treated water bought from another system can carry that system's contaminants.
Summary
PFAS above the 2024 federal limits. Systems have until 2029 to meet the PFAS limits.
Is it an emergency? No: PFAS limits are about years of exposure, not a glass of water, and nothing in EPA's data calls for you to stop drinking the water today. If your utility ever issues a boil-water or do-not-drink notice, follow it.
- PFAS
- Above limitPFOS above the federal limit in EPA's 2023–2025 testing (PFOS 5.17 ppt vs a limit of 4 ppt, where ppt = parts per trillion).
- Lead
- Below action level0.33 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 ending Dec 2024. Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- None health-basedNo health-based violations since 2016.
- Pregnant, or mixing baby formula with tap water? Babies drink more water for their size, so PFAS exposure matters more for them. Consider bottled water or a filter certified for PFAS for formula, and ask your doctor. Health effects.
- To lower your PFAS exposure now, a home filter certified for PFAS reduction works (reverse osmosis, or activated carbon certified to NSF/ANSI 53 or 58). Filters for these results.
- 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.
- Tested your own tap? Compare your result with these numbers. Moving? Compare this system with another.
- Read Dcwa Calomet Valley Water System'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 (843) 875-0140. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 1 entry point tested Feb 2023 to Nov 2023. "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 One sample above limit Limit 4 ppt | 3.5 ppt 88% of the limit |
| PFOS Above limit Limit 4 ppt | 5.17 ppt 1.29× the limit |
| PFHxS Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| PFNA Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) Detected, below limit Limit 10 ppt | 3.1 ppt 31% of the limit |
| Hazard Index (a combined score for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and PFBS, where above 1 is over the limit) Detected, below limit Limit 1 | 0.31 |
| PFBS Detected, below limit Guideline 2,000 ppt | 4.17 ppt |
| PFBA Detected, below limit Guideline 6,000 ppt | 3 ppt |
| PFHxA Detected, below limit Guideline 3,000 ppt | 5 ppt |
| PFPeA Detected, no limit | 5.47 ppt |
For context: the PFOS average is higher than at 71% of the South Carolina systems EPA tested.
29 PFAS tested, 7 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 4 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 0.33 ppb lead (Jan 2022 – Dec 2024). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 0.9 ppb (Dec 2021).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2022 – Dec 2024 | 0.33 ppb |
| Jan 2019 – Dec 2021 | 0.9 ppb |
| Jan 2016 – Dec 2018 | 0.7 ppb |
Earlier results (4)
| Jan 2015 – Dec 2015 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2014 – Dec 2014 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2013 – Jun 2013 | 0 ppb |
| Jul 2012 – Dec 2012 | 0 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
No violations on record in EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System.
Where it serves
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 29456, 29483, 29485
Nearby utilities
- Dcwa Knightsville Water System Summerville · same area · PFAS above limit
- Summerville Commission of Public Works Summerville · same area · PFAS above limit
- Dcws Ashley Phosphate Water System North Charleston · 9 mi · PFAS above limit
- BCWSA East Cooper Moncks Corner · 16 mi · PFAS above limit
- BCWSA Sangaree Water District Moncks Corner · 16 mi
- City of Moncks Corner Moncks Corner · 16 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is Dcwa Calomet Valley Water System water safe to drink?
Dcwa Calomet Valley Water System has no health-based violations since 2016. EPA testing found PFAS above the 2024 federal limits, which systems must meet by 2029. 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 Dcwa Calomet Valley Water System water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of Dcwa Calomet Valley Water System found 7 PFAS at least once. The highest entry-point averages were above the federal limit for PFOS: PFOS 5.17 ppt (limit 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS, 10 ppt for the others).
What is the lead level in Dcwa Calomet Valley Water System water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Dcwa Calomet Valley Water System is 0.33 ppb, for the period ending Dec 2024. 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 SC1850009: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID SC1850009).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Dcwa Calomet Valley Water System at (843) 875-0140, 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.