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updates on the quality of your drinking water.
Each year, the team at Greenville Water works diligently to protect our watersheds, ensure our treatment practices are highly effective, and provide you, our customers, with drinking water that meets and exceeds all federal and state drinking water standards. Once again, we are happy to report that Greenville Water meets all of the strict drinking water standards established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC).
In order to protect its customers, Greenville Water and SCDHEC collected 27,887 samples and performed 113,930 tests during 2022. Greenville Water ensures your water quality by testing water samples collected during the treatment process and as the water is delivered to customers through 3,091 miles of pipeline. The 2022 Water Quality Report indicates that our drinking water meets all federal and state drinking water standards.
To raise awareness about the ways in which water pollution can impact your drinking water, SCDHEC has identified potential sources of contamination for each drinking water source in the state.
More information on source water assessment can be found on SCDHEC's website and Greenville Water’s Source Water Assessment can be reviewed upon request.
Greenville Water draws water from three sources: Table Rock Reservoir, North Saluda Reservoir and Lake Keowee.
Table Rock and North Saluda Reservoirs are both located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in northern Greenville County. Greenville Water owns 100 percent of both watersheds. Greenville Water regularly patrols and carefully maintains these uninhabited, pristine lands. The properties are further protected by a Conservation Easement with The Nature Conservancy. Lake Keowee is owned by Duke Energy.
In 2013, Greenville Water obtained two South Carolina Surface Water Withdrawal permits, one for the Stovall Treatment Plant and one for the Adkins Treatment Plant. The Stovall Treatment Plant has two supply sources, Table Rock Reservoir (2,077 million gallons per month [MGM]) and North Saluda Reservoir (1,860 MGM). The Adkins Treatment Plant has one supply source, Lake Keowee (4,650 MGM).
Water found in nature contains substances such as minerals, salts and metals, while viruses and bacteria can be introduced into water from farm animals, septic systems, or wild animals.
While Greenville Water’s private reservoirs are protected from outside development and toxic chemical waste, we continue to monitor and treat the water diligently to ensure the highest quality water is distributed to the Upstate through our two award-winning water treatment plants.
The Witty Adkins Treatment Plant, a conventional filtration plant with a current capacity of 90 million gallons per day (MGD), draws water from Lake Keowee. The L.B. Stovall Treatment Plant provides filtration for all water drawn from the Table Rock and North Saluda Reservoirs with a capacity of 75 MGD. Stovall is one of the largest plants in the United States to use an innovative flotation process for particle removal (see Step 2 below).
All treatment plants are maintained and monitored by State Certified Environmental Systems Operators who are thoroughly trained to perform routine chemical and physical testing for water treatment.
The Stovall and Adkins Water Treatment Plants use two approved methods of treating the water:
STEP 1: Coagulation
The water we collect from nature is mixed with alum to coagulate dirt to form larger particles, along with small amounts of sodium hydroxide for pH adjustment.
STEP 2: Sedimentation or Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF)
Adkins uses settling, meaning that over time the larger particles fall to the bottom where they are removed. Stovall, however, uses DAF to float the particles to the surface using pressurized air bubbles, where they are then scraped off from the top of the water.
STEP 3: Filtration
The remaining water flows through filters made of layers of fine materials, like sand or coal. These layers stop even smaller particles of contaminants from getting through, and only very clear water is left.
STEP 4: Disinfection
We add a small amount of chlorine combined with ammonia — known as chloramines — to protect against water-borne diseases.
STEP 5: Other Chemical Additions
Fluoride — the same thing in your toothpaste — is added at the last step in accordance with EPA guidelines to help prevent tooth decay. An ortho/polyphosphate blend is added to protect the pipes from corrosion as the water travels to your home.
The pink rings found in these locations are caused by an airborne bacteria called Serratia marcescens. It thrives in the moist, dark conditions often found in bathrooms. Products containing chlorine, such as common household bleach, will both remove and control the proliferation of Serratia marcescens.
The new US EPA regulatory guidance addresses PFAS chemicals, which are synthetic chemicals that have been manufactured and used by a broad range of industries since the 1940s. These chemicals have unique physical and chemical properties such as resistance to low and high temperatures, resistance to degradation and non-stick characteristics. These chemicals have been used in thousands of everyday products including non-stick pans, weather resistant clothing, cosmetics and food packaging. Because of decades of widespread use, PFAS has been detected worldwide in soil, air and water. Eighty (80) percent of PFAS environmental exposure has come from consumer products and manufacturing of these products while twenty (20) percent or less of the exposure comes from drinking water.
The new limits are set at four parts per trillion (ppt) for some of the most common PFAS categories found in parts of the US. In addition, the US EPA has set limits of 10 ppt for three other PFAS contaminant categories that may be found in some drinking water. The US EPA will also now require public water systems to monitor for these PFAS and provide the public with information on the levels of PFAS in their drinking water by 2027.
As part of the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, Greenville Water tested the finished water at both the Adkins and Stovall Water Treatment Plants for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in 2014, and none were detected. As a follow-up, in 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023 Greenville Water tested for PFAS compounds at our Table Rock and North Saluda Reservoirs and Lake Keowee and none of the substances were detected.
The following US EPA and SCDHEC sites provide additional information on the subject:
US EPA https://www.epa.gov/pfas
SCDHEC https://scdhec.gov/environment/polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas
For immediate assistance, call our Customer Service Department Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm.
(864) 241-6000
To book a drinking water or hand washing station, your event must be open to the public (ticketed or free) with an expected attendance of at least 500 people and held in Greenville Water’s service area. To see additional requirements or learn more about our water service stations, visit the Community Outreach page.
Ready to book? Fill out the Water for Community Events request form.
Total Chlorine (mg/L)
pH (SU)
Turbidity (NTU)
Temperature (°F)
Your drinking water is being continuously monitored to ensure consistently great quality that meets and exceeds all state and federal drinking water standards. View our monthly report to see the latest information on our water quality.
2024 Monthly ResultsAfter an extensive review of our records and physical examination, Greenville Water has determined that there are no lead service lines within the Greenville Water distribution system.
After an extensive review of our records and physical examination, Greenville Water has determined that there are no lead service lines within the West Pelzer distribution system.
As part of the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, Greenville Water tested the finished water at both the Adkins and Stovall Water Treatment Plants for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in 2014, and none were detected.
As a follow-up, in 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023 Greenville Water tested for PFAS compounds at our Table Rock and North Saluda Reservoirs and Lake Keowee and none of the substances were detected.
View the latest information about our water quality from 2023.
Vea la información más reciente sobre la calidad de nuestra agua.
View Greenville Water's previous water quality reports in the archive.
