Saluda Commission of Public Works water quality
Saluda, SC · serves 3,390 people (1,507 connections) · Purchased surface water · Local government · EPA ID SC4110001
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Buys water from City of Newberry. 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 limitPFOA, PFOS, HFPO-DA (GenX), the PFAS Hazard Index above the federal limit in EPA's 2023–2025 testing (PFOA 4.7 ppt vs a limit of 4 ppt, PFOS 7.85 ppt vs a limit of 4 ppt, HFPO-DA (GenX) 25.3 ppt vs a limit of 10 ppt, where ppt = parts per trillion).
- Lead
- Below action level0.31 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
- Resolved11 health-based violations since 2016, most recently Oct 2024.
- 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 Saluda Commission of Public Works'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 (864) 445-2090. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 1 entry point tested Mar 2025 to Dec 2025. "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 Above limit Limit 4 ppt | 4.7 ppt 1.18× the limit |
| PFOS Above limit Limit 4 ppt | 7.85 ppt 1.96× the limit |
| PFHxS Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| PFNA Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) Above limit Limit 10 ppt | 25.3 ppt 2.52× the limit |
| Hazard Index (a combined score for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and PFBS, where above 1 is over the limit) Above limit Limit 1 | 2.53 |
| PFBS Detected, below limit Guideline 2,000 ppt | 2.73 ppt |
| PFBA Not detected Guideline 6,000 ppt | – |
| PFHxA Detected, below limit Guideline 3,000 ppt | 3.7 ppt |
| PFPeA Detected, no limit | 3.3 ppt |
For context: the PFOA average is higher than at 82% of the South Carolina systems EPA tested, the PFOS average is higher than at 90% of the South Carolina systems EPA tested and the HFPO-DA (GenX) average is higher than at 96% of the South Carolina systems EPA tested.
29 PFAS tested, 6 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: 0.31 ppb lead (Jan 2022 – Dec 2024). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 0.67 ppb (Dec 2021).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2022 – Dec 2024 | 0.31 ppb |
| Jan 2019 – Dec 2021 | 0.67 ppb |
| Jan 2016 – Dec 2018 | 0.5 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2013 – Dec 2015 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2010 – Dec 2012 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2007 – Dec 2009 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2004 – Dec 2006 | 2.8 ppb |
| Jan 2001 – Dec 2003 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 1998 – Dec 2000 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 1997 – Dec 1997 | 12.5 ppb |
| Jan 1996 – Dec 1996 | 3.1 ppb |
| Jul 1993 – Sep 1996 | 3.1 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 |
|---|---|
| Oct 2024 | The system did not publish the required inventory of lead service lines (due October 2024). It says nothing about lead levels in the water. EPA record: Lead and copper rule revisions · LSL Inventory Resolved |
| Jan 2019 – Apr 2022 10 times | The running annual average for TTHM was above the legal limit. EPA record: TTHM · Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · measured 0.083 mg/l (limit 0.080 mg/L) Resolved |
2 unresolved monitoring or reporting violations: Consumer Confidence Rule.
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.
Where it serves
Saluda
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 29138
Nearby utilities
- Saluda County Water & Sewer Authority Saluda · same area · PFAS above limit
- City of Newberry Newberry · 22 mi · PFAS above limit
- Newberry County Water & Sewer Authority Newberry · 22 mi · PFAS above limit
- Greenwood Commission of Public Works Greenwood · 26 mi · PFAS above limit
- McCormick County Water & Sewer Authority McCormick · 30 mi · PFAS above limit
- Joint Municipal WSC Lexington · 31 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is Saluda Commission of Public Works water safe to drink?
Saluda Commission of Public Works had 11 health-based violations since 2016, all since resolved. 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 Saluda Commission of Public Works water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of Saluda Commission of Public Works found 6 PFAS at least once. The highest entry-point averages were above the federal limit for PFOA and PFOS and HFPO-DA (GenX): PFOA 4.7 ppt, PFOS 7.85 ppt, HFPO-DA (GenX) 25.3 ppt (limit 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS, 10 ppt for the others).
What is the lead level in Saluda Commission of Public Works water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Saluda Commission of Public Works is 0.31 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 SC4110001: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID SC4110001).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Saluda Commission of Public Works at (864) 445-2090, 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.