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Tap water quality report

Charleston, SC

EPA monitoring detected 22 contaminants across the 1 water supplier serving Charleston. A detection doesn't automatically mean the water is unsafe — see the level at the main supplier for each below, with its EPA source and period.

1
water supplier
327,422
people served
22
contaminants found
South Carolina rankings Lead in South Carolina PFAS in South Carolina

What was found in Charleston's water

The level at the city's main supplier, the highest level anywhere in the city, the EPA limit for each, and where every figure comes from.

ContaminantLevel vs EPA limitSuppliersSource
Fluoride
575 µg/L 14%
of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L
Main supplier: CHARLESTON WATER SYSTEM (SC1010001) · 327,422 people · 2019
1/1 SYR4
Nitrate
520 µg/L 5.2%
of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L
Main supplier: CHARLESTON WATER SYSTEM (SC1010001) · 327,422 people · 2019
1/1 SYR4
Copper
138.5 µg/L 11%
of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L
Main supplier: CHARLESTON WATER SYSTEM (SC1010001) · 327,422 people · 2018
1/1 SYR4
Nitrate-Nitrite
100 µg/L 1%
of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L
Main supplier: CHARLESTON WATER SYSTEM (SC1010001) · 327,422 people · 2017
1/1 SYR4
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)
35.5 µg/L 59%
of the EPA limit 60 µg/L
Main supplier: CHARLESTON WATER SYSTEM (SC1010001) · 327,422 people · 2019
1/1 SYR4
Dichloroacetic Acid
26.519 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: CHARLESTON WATER SYSTEM (SC1010001) · 327,422 people · 2019
1/1 SYR4
TTHM
26.075 µg/L 33%
of the EPA limit 80 µg/L
Main supplier: CHARLESTON WATER SYSTEM (SC1010001) · 327,422 people · 2019
1/1 SYR4
Bromoform
14.0875 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: CHARLESTON WATER SYSTEM (SC1010001) · 327,422 people · 2019
1/1 SYR4
Chloroform
12.703 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: CHARLESTON WATER SYSTEM (SC1010001) · 327,422 people · 2019
1/1 SYR4
Monochloroacetic Acid
11.54 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: CHARLESTON WATER SYSTEM (SC1010001) · 327,422 people · 2019
1/1 SYR4
Lead
9.87 µg/L 66%
of the EPA limit 15 µg/L
Main supplier: CHARLESTON WATER SYSTEM (SC1010001) · 327,422 people · 2018
1/1 SYR4
Dibromoacetic Acid
8.2815 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: CHARLESTON WATER SYSTEM (SC1010001) · 327,422 people · 2019
1/1 SYR4
Bromodichloromethane
7.971 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: CHARLESTON WATER SYSTEM (SC1010001) · 327,422 people · 2019
1/1 SYR4
Dibromochloromethane
6.62 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: CHARLESTON WATER SYSTEM (SC1010001) · 327,422 people · 2019
1/1 SYR4
Trichloroacetic Acid
4.608 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: CHARLESTON WATER SYSTEM (SC1010001) · 327,422 people · 2019
1/1 SYR4
Monobromoacetic Acid
3.708 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: CHARLESTON WATER SYSTEM (SC1010001) · 327,422 people · 2019
1/1 SYR4
PFOS
0.0065 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: CHARLESTON WATER SYSTEM (SC1010001) · 327,422 people · 2025
1/1 UCMR-5
Pfpea
0.0047 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: CHARLESTON WATER SYSTEM (SC1010001) · 327,422 people · 2025
1/1 UCMR-5
PFOA
0.0044 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: CHARLESTON WATER SYSTEM (SC1010001) · 327,422 people · 2025
1/1 UCMR-5
Pfhxa
0.0043 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: CHARLESTON WATER SYSTEM (SC1010001) · 327,422 people · 2025
1/1 UCMR-5
PFBS
0.0038 µg/L
No EPA limit set
Main supplier: CHARLESTON WATER SYSTEM (SC1010001) · 327,422 people · 2025
1/1 UCMR-5
Lead
0.0035 mg/L 23%
of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L
Main supplier: CHARLESTON WATER SYSTEM (SC1010001) · 327,422 people · 2024
1/1 LCR
Each bar shows the measured level as a share of the EPA limit: green is well under, amber is close to it, red is over. For lead and copper the limit applies to exactly the 90th-percentile figure shown, so red there means a real exceedance. For everything else the limit applies to a running annual average while the figure is the 95th percentile of the system's samples — over 100% is worth reading, but is not by itself a violation. Formal violations are listed separately. These are the utilities' own EPA-reported results, not a city-wide average. A detection means the lab measured the substance — it isn't the same as exceeding a legal limit. Hover a source tag to see the EPA program and years behind each figure.

Water suppliers serving Charleston

SupplierPopulation served
CHARLESTON WATER SYSTEM (SC1010001) 327,422

Frequently asked questions about Charleston tap water

Is Charleston tap water safe to drink?

EPA testing detected 22 contaminants in the water serving Charleston. A detection isn't the same as a violation — most detected levels are within federal limits. Check the level and source for each contaminant above, and your utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report for the official compliance status.

How many water suppliers serve Charleston?

1 public water supplier report drinking-water monitoring for Charleston, South Carolina to the EPA. Each is listed above with its population served.

What contaminants are in Charleston's water?

The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in Charleston include Fluoride, Nitrate, Copper, Nitrate-Nitrite, Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5). The full list, with the level at the main supplier and the data source, is in the table above.

Where does this data come from?

Every figure is official EPA drinking-water monitoring — the Lead & Copper Rule, the UCMR-5 nationwide testing program, and the EPA Six-Year Review — not our own testing. Each number is labelled with its source and period.