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Charleston County, SC Water Quality

Water quality data for 10 public water systems serving Charleston County, South Carolina — based on EPA SDWIS enforcement records, lead testing results, and health-based violation history.

📅 2026 Report 🔄 Data updated 2026 Q2 📍 10 water systems · 16 cities
✅
Excellent — All Systems Performing Well

Water quality across the county is outstanding with minimal violations and very low lead levels.

A

Charleston County Earns a A

Charleston County: 16 communities across 10 water systems. 100.0% have no open violations.

  • Median lead where detected: 3.50 ppb
  • 16 communities with a lead detection, 0 reporting none detected
  • 6 communities with PFAS above the federal limit
  • 0 with significant inspection deficiencies
  • 100.0% of communities have no open violations
3.5 ppb
Median Lead Level
County-wide, 90th percentile
10
Water Systems
Active CWS & NTNCWS
100%
Violation-Free
No active violations on record
How we grade counties: MyWaterIQ uses EPA SDWIS enforcement data — actual MCL violations and lead test results — not the aspirational MCLG targets used by some sites. A grade reflects real compliance history, not theoretical risk. Learn more →

Cities by Water Quality

⭐ Best Performing
  • Charleston
    3.50 ppb
    No federal limits exceeded on record
    B
  • North Charleston
    3.50 ppb
    No federal limits exceeded on record
    B
  • James Island
    3.50 ppb
    No federal limits exceeded on record
    B
  • Hollywood
    3.50 ppb
    No federal limits exceeded on record
    B
  • Ravenel
    3.50 ppb
    No federal limits exceeded on record
    B
⚠ Needs Attention
  • Awendaw
    8.00 ppb
    9 health-based violations since 2015
    B
  • Mount Pleasant
    1.10 ppb
    PFAS above the limit at 1 of 5 sampling points
    B
  • Isle of Palms
    0.49 ppb
    PFAS above the limit at 1 of 2 sampling points
    B
  • Seabrook Island
    4.00 ppb
    PFAS above the limit at 1 of 1 sampling points
    B
  • Kiawah Island
    1.10 ppb
    PFAS above the limit at 1 of 1 sampling points
    B
County Lead Level — Median 3.5 ppb
Based on most recent 90th percentile lead tests across all reporting systems
0 ppb5 ppb10 ppb15 ppb
County median: 3.5 ppb — 23.3% of the federal action level
Systems by Lead Level
Under 5 ppb
15
5 – 10 ppb
1

All Cities in Charleston County

Charleston 3.50 ppb B
North Charleston 3.50 ppb B
Mount Pleasant 1.10 ppb B
James Island 3.50 ppb B
Hollywood 3.50 ppb B
Isle of Palms 0.49 ppb B
Ravenel 3.50 ppb B
Seabrook Island 4.00 ppb B
Kiawah Island 1.10 ppb B
Sullivan's Island 0.59 ppb B
Folly Beach 0.93 ppb B
Meggett 3.50 ppb B
McClellanville 2.30 ppb B
Lincolnville 0.90 ppb B
Adams Run 3.50 ppb B
Awendaw 8.00 ppb B
Showing 16 cities
No active violations Active violations

About Charleston County Drinking Water

Charleston County is served by 10 water systems covering 16 communities. No community here has an open violation on record.

Of the communities reporting lead results, 16 recorded a detection, with a median of 3.50 ppb — 23% of the federal action level. 0 reported none detected, which means below the laboratory limit rather than an absence of lead.

6 of 16 communities have PFAS above the limits EPA set in 2024, measured as a running annual average at each sampling point. State inspectors recorded no significant deficiencies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Charleston County tap water safe to drink?▼
No community in Charleston County has an open violation on record. 6 of 16 have PFAS above the federal limit, which is the main open concern.
What is the lead level in Charleston County?▼
Among communities with a detection the median is 3.50 ppb, 23% of the 15 ppb action level. 0 reported none detected and 0 reported no result.
How many water systems serve Charleston County?▼
10 community water systems serve 16 communities here.
← Back to South Carolina water quality overview