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South Carolina Tap Water Quality 2026

EPA drinking water data for 398 cities across South Carolina — covering lead levels, violation history, and compliance status.

Systems tracked: 221 Cities covered: 398 Updated: 2026 Q2
A

South Carolina earns an A for overall water quality

398 communities across 46 counties and 221 water systems. 100.0% have no open violations.

Median lead where detected: 1.60 ppb
32.2% of systems report lead as not detected — a state filing convention, not a water quality measure
PFAS tested at 60.8% of communities; 90 above the federal limit
Lead reported for 100.0% of communities
100.0% of communities have no open violations
Water Systems
221
Active community systems
Median Lead Level
1.6 ppb
11% of EPA action level
Fully Compliant
100%
of systems — no active violations
How we grade states Grades are based on actual EPA enforcement data — MCL violations and lead levels measured against the 15 ppb federal action level. We do not use MCLG-based detections, which are aspirational zero-tolerance goals that would make nearly every state look dangerous. Read our full methodology →

Best & Worst Cities in South Carolina

✓ Cleanest Water
Gramling
Spartanburg County
0.0 ppb A
Charleston
Charleston County
3.5 ppb B
North Charleston
Charleston County
3.5 ppb B
Rock Hill
York County
2.0 ppb A
Greenville
Greenville County
0.0 ppb A
Sumter
Sumter County
0.8 ppb A
⚠ Needs Attention
Georgetown
Georgetown County
7.4 ppb D
Blacksburg
Cherokee County
0.0 ppb D
Columbia
Richland County
5.0 ppb D
St. Andrews
Richland County
5.0 ppb D
Seven Oaks
Lexington County
5.0 ppb D
Dentsville
Richland County
5.0 ppb D

Water Quality by County

46 of 46
Sort:
CountySystemsLead LevelViolationsGrade
Spartanburg County 38 No data 0 A
Greenville County 22 No data 0 A
Horry County 19 0.6 ppb 0 B
Orangeburg County 18 0.7 ppb 0 A
Lexington County 18 4.0 ppb 0 B
Aiken County 16 1.7 ppb 0 A
York County 16 2.0 ppb 0 A
Charleston County 16 3.5 ppb 0 A
Anderson County 15 3.0 ppb 0 A
Richland County 14 5.0 ppb 0 D

About South Carolina Drinking Water

South Carolina is served by 221 community water systems covering 398 communities across 46 counties. 100.0% have no open violation on record.

Lead was detected in 270 communities, with a median of 1.60 ppb — 11% of the federal action level. A further 128 reported none detected. That share is a state reporting convention rather than a measure of water quality, so it is stated separately rather than averaged in.

PFAS has been tested at 60.8% of communities here, and 90 are above the limits EPA set in 2024. Coverage matters: states that test more find more, so this figure is not comparable with a state that has tested less.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is South Carolina tap water safe to drink? ▼
100.0% of communities have no open violation on record. 90 have PFAS above the federal limit set in 2024, which is the main open concern.
Does South Carolina have a lead problem? ▼
10 water systems report a 90th-percentile lead result at or above the 15 ppb action level. The action level is a treatment trigger, not a legal maximum, and 128 communities report no detection at all.
How complete is the data for South Carolina? ▼
Lead results are reported for 100.0% of communities and PFAS for 60.8%. Where a figure is missing it is shown as not reported rather than assumed safe.
How does South Carolina compare with other states? ▼
We do not rank states against each other. Lead reporting completeness ranges from under 20% to 100% depending on the state, so a national ranking would compare filing practice rather than water quality.