Lead In Drinking Water In South Carolina
What residents of South Carolina need to know about lead in drinking water — including how it enters water, which utilities have documented violations, and what steps to take.
Source: EPA SDWIS, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC), CDC · Last reviewed: 2025-01-01
Quick Answer
Is lead in drinking water a real concern in South Carolina?
Yes — Columbia, Charleston, Greenville, and Spartanburg have older housing in their city cores with pre-1986 plumbing where lead service lines and lead solder may be present.
Is this mostly a public-water issue, a private-well issue, or both?
Primarily household plumbing and service connections in older South Carolina city neighborhoods; older neighborhoods in Columbia and Charleston concentrate the highest risk.
What is the main reason residents should care?
South Carolina's major cities have older residential neighborhoods built decades before the 1986 federal ban on lead solder and plumbing materials. Charleston's historic district and downtown Columbia have concentrations of pre-1920 housing with aging water infrastructure.
Key Facts
| Federal Lead Action Level | 15 µg/L — no safe level per CDC |
| Charleston context | One of the oldest cities in the South — 18th and 19th century buildings may have pre-modern plumbing |
| Primary risk | Pre-1986 housing in older Columbia, Charleston, Greenville, and Spartanburg neighborhoods |
| Federal MCLG | Zero |
| State oversight | South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) |
Why This Matters in South Carolina
Charleston is one of the oldest cities in the American South, with a concentration of 18th and 19th century historic buildings in its peninsula neighborhoods. These older structures have plumbing that predates federal lead bans and may include lead service lines and lead solder throughout. Columbia's older Five Points and Shandon neighborhoods, and Greenville's downtown historic district, also have pre-1940 housing with aging plumbing. South Carolina's water chemistry varies by region, with some areas drawing from soft Piedmont streams and others from harder coastal plain groundwater. SCDHEC enforces the Lead and Copper Rule and requires utilities to complete service line inventories.
South Carolina Utilities With Lead Violation Records
The utilities listed below have at least one lead violation on record in EPA's SDWIS database. Violations may be open or resolved — see individual utility pages for current status and risk level.
Charleston Water System (sc1010001)
Charleston · 327,422 served
Spartanburg Water System (4210001)
Spartanburg · 166,364 served
Bjw&sa (0720003)
South Carolina · 145,634 served
Rock Hill City of (sc4610002)
Rock Hill · 84,504 served
Florence City of (sc2110001)
Florence · 79,745 served
Lancaster County W&sd (sc2920001)
Lancaster · 79,107 served
Myrtle Beach City of (sc2610001)
Myrtle Beach · 49,375 served
Goose Creek City of (sc0810004)
Goose Creek · 43,744 served
Inman Campobello W/d (4220002)
Inman · 36,685 served
York County East Wd (sc4620002)
York · 30,225 served
How Lead Gets Into Drinking Water
Lead service lines
The pipe connecting a home to the water main may be made of lead, especially in pre-1986 construction. Water sitting in these lines can accumulate lead before it reaches the tap.
Lead solder
Lead solder at pipe joints was banned for potable water systems in 1986. Homes built before that date — including significant portions of older South Carolina cities — may still have lead solder throughout their plumbing.
Older brass fixtures
Faucets, valves, and fixtures with high lead content were common before the 2014 revision of 'lead-free' standards. Replacing older fixtures at kitchen and drinking taps can meaningfully reduce exposure.
Corrosive water chemistry
Soft, acidic, or low-alkalinity water dissolves lead from plumbing more readily. Utilities use orthophosphate and other corrosion control treatments, but household plumbing after the meter is not within their control.
Who Should Pay Closest Attention
Families with young children in Charleston's peninsula neighborhoods, older Columbia neighborhoods, and renters in pre-1940 South Carolina housing should consider a certified NSF/ANSI 53 or 58 filter for drinking and cooking water.
Families with children under six
Pregnant residents
Households in homes built before 1986
Renters who cannot inspect building plumbing
Residents on a confirmed lead service line
Households that had plumbing work done recently (disturbances dislodge protective scale)
How to Check Your Situation in South Carolina
- 1
Identify your water utility. Use the ZIP lookup below or browse the South Carolina utility directory on this site.
- 2
Read your utility's page on this site to see its current risk level and any open lead violations.
- 3
Contact your utility and ask for your address-level service line material status. Under the federal Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR), utilities must maintain and provide this information.
- 4
Review your utility's most recent Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) — mailed annually or available on the utility's website.
- 5
Consider testing your tap water at a South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC)-certified lab. Your state health department or South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) maintains a list of certified labs.
- 6
If you have young children or are pregnant, install a certified NSF/ANSI 53 or 58 filter at the kitchen tap as a precautionary measure.
Treatment Options
Boiling does not remove lead. Use a certified filter for drinking and cooking water.
NSF/ANSI Standard 53 — Activated Carbon Block
Under-sink or pitcher filters certified to Standard 53 are independently verified to reduce lead. Replace filters on the manufacturer's schedule — an overdue filter may not perform as certified.
NSF/ANSI Standard 58 — Reverse Osmosis
RO systems certified to Standard 58 remove 95–99% of lead and a broad range of contaminants. Requires under-sink installation. More comprehensive than Standard 53 for households with multiple contaminant concerns.
Flushing — temporary mitigation only
EPA recommends flushing the cold tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes if water has sat in pipes for 6+ hours. Not a substitute for certified filtration or service line replacement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Pages
Lead — National Overview
All U.S. utilities with lead records
South Carolina State Overview
All utilities and water quality data
Nitrate in Drinking Water
A separate but common concern
Reverse Osmosis Guide
Removes 95–99% of lead
Activated Carbon Filter Guide
NSF/ANSI 53 certified options
All Contaminants
Complete reference library
Data Sources & Provenance
All data on this page is sourced from official U.S. government or public datasets.