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Greenville Water Quality City view of Area

March 2025

Greenville Water Quality: Is Its Drinking Water Up to Par?

Key Takeaways

● Greenville’s drinking water comes from a protected watershed, where it’s less at risk of industrial and agricultural pollution than other water systems

● Greenville Water uses conventional filtration and Dissolved Air Filtration (DAF) to remove unwanted sediment and disinfection to kill bacteria

● The water treatment process leaves behind disinfection byproducts, which some residents may wish to remove using a home water filter

Greenville, South Carolina has a reputation for providing its residents with high quality drinking water that comes from “30,000 acres of protected watershed,” according to the 2023 Consumer Confidence Report. But like any American water system, Greenville’s water needs to be monitored for pesticides, bacteria, and other contaminants.

It’s important for residents to stay informed about Greenville water quality and check their local water quality report if they have any questions or issues. Here’s the current status of drinking water in Greenville, SC, and how it compares to the Environmental Protection Agency’s national drinking water standards.

What Is the Current Water Quality Status in Greenville, SC?

The current water quality status in Greenville, SC, is good. The 2023 Greenville Water Quality Report claims that Greenville “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.”

The city collects over 26,000 samples and conducts over 105,000 tests each year to ensure that Grenville residents have access to safe drinking water year round.

Where Can I Access Official Water Quality Reports?

Greenville Water is the local water utility for the city of Greenville. Their website has a water quality report archive, where you can access their annual reports dating back to 1999. Since 2012, these reports have been available in both English and Spanish.

Greenville Water also posts monthly water quality reports, but these just show the test results without any detailed explanations.

For a more comprehensive report, enter your ZIP code and download a local water quality report from HomeWater, powered by SimpleLab.

How Clean Is Greenville’s Water Supply?

Greenville’s drinking water comes primarily from surface water resources protected by a conservation easement with the Nature Conservancy. This water is collected in the Table Rock Reservoir, North Saluda Reservoir, and Lake Keowee before it’s processed at one of several water treatment plants and distributed to customers.

The lack of residents and commercial facilities means that its water sources are mostly safe from agricultural runoff and industrial byproducts. In fact, Greenville Water claims that it has “more control over its source water than any water system in the world.”

Greenville Water regularly tests for turbidity, microbial contaminants, and unregulated contaminants to ensure its tap water meets national safety standards.

Greenville Water Quality Downtown and Bridge over River

Greenville Water uses a different treatment process at each of its two treatment plants. The Witty Adkins Treatment Plant processes up to 90 million gallons of water per day using conventional water filtration methods. The Lyndon B. Stovall Treatment Plant processes up to 75 million gallons per day using Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF).

Each plant uses a five-step process to produce high-quality water:

Coagulation: Greenville uses a coagulant called alum to cause large particles or sediments to clump together and sodium hydroxide to adjust the pH.
Sedimentation or DAF: At the Adkins plant, particles settle to the bottom of the basin, where they can be removed. At the Stovall plant, they’re forced up to the surface with dissolved air (bubbles), so they can be skimmed off.
Filtration: This step uses a physical filter to remove even tinier particles.
Disinfection: The disinfection process uses chloramines to kill contaminants like bacteria that may pose a health risk.
Additives: Greenville Water adds fluoride as a public health measure to prevent tooth decay and an ortho/polyphosphate blend for corrosion control.

What Are the Most Common Contaminants Found in Greenville's Tap Water?

Greenville’s water supply is very well-protected, which means it has low levels of nitrates and other contaminants found in industrial and agricultural discharges. Still, that doesn’t mean Greenville’s tap water contaminant-free when it comes out of your faucet.

Here are four common contaminants that impact Greenville’s water quality.

Chromium (Hexavalent)

Chromium-6, or hexavalent chromium, is an industrial contaminant linked to cancer and other public health risks in high doses. Erin Brockovich brought it to the world’s attention in a California court case but it’s also prevalent in parts of South Carolina.

The EPA hasn’t set a legal limit, but public health organizations like the Environmental Working Group (EWG) recommend an upper limit of 0.02 parts per billion (ppb), which Greenville’s drinking water exceeds by 2.6 times:

● EPA maximum allowance: No legal limit

● EWG recommended maximum: 0.02 ppb

● Greenville maximum contaminant level: 0.0512 ppb

Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)

When it comes to Greenville water quality, disinfection byproducts are the biggest health concern. Even though Greenville’s water supply is relatively high-quality, the water treatment process introduces byproducts like haloacetic acids.

One grouping of haloacetic acids (HAA5) is 108 times above the EWG’s recommended maximum, although it’s within the EPA’s legal limit:

● EPA maximum allowance: 60 ppb

● EWG recommended maximum: 0.1 ppb

● Greenville maximum contaminant level: 10.8 ppb

Haloacetic Acids (HAA9)

Another grouping of haloacetic acids (HAA9) includes HAA5 plus four more. Over time, high levels of exposure have been linked to cancer and other health risks. Greenville’s water is within the legal limit, but 163 times above the EWG’s recommendation:

● EPA maximum allowance: No legal limit

● EWG recommended maximum: 0.06 ppb

● Greenville maximum contaminant level: 9.80 ppb

Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs)

Trihalomethanes are a group of four disinfection byproducts that are measured as total trihalomethanes, or TTHMs:

● Chloroform

● Bromodichloromethane

● Dibromochloromethane

● Bromoform

At high doses, trihalomethanes are associated with skin and bladder cancer, and harm to fetal growth. Greenville’s water exceeds the EWG’s maximum by 67 times:

● EPA maximum allowance: 80 ppb

● EWG recommended maximum: 0.15 ppb

● Greenville maximum contaminant level: 10.0 ppb

Should You Filter Greenville’s Tap Water?

It’s an open question whether or not you should filter Greenville’s tap water before you drink it. On the one hand, it poses a low risk of exposure to waterborne diseases, and its nitrate levels are below the legal limit of 10 parts per million (ppm). On the other hand, it has moderately high levels of disinfection byproducts like HAA9 and TTHMs.

Activated carbon filters are effective at removing common disinfection byproducts and they can improve the taste of your drinking water. Consider installing an under-counter water filter with replaceable filters to get rid of chloramines and TTHMs.

Greenville’s Tap Water Filter Water Technician Does Installation

Are There Neighborhoods in Greenville That Experience Different Water Quality Levels?

Greenville Water provides drinking water to over 500,000 residents. As of 2024, it also took over operations for the West Pelzer water system. According to Greenville Water, there are no major disparities across the distribution system.

A detailed inventory of service lines found that there are no lead service lines in either the Greenville or West Pelzer water system.

Likewise, annual monitoring for PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) found no detectable levels within Lake Keowee or either of the reservoirs.

What About the Discoloration on My Shower Head?

One common complaint from Greenville residents is a pink ring around their bathroom fixtures, including shower heads. According to Greenville Water, this is caused by an “airborne bacteria called Serratia marcescens,” which grows in damp, dark places. Residents can use household cleaners that contain chlorine to remove it.

What Resources Are Available for Greenville Residents to Test Their Tap Water Quality?

Even if you’re satisfied with Greenville’ water quality, it can be a good idea to test your drinking water for specific contaminants. For example, if you live in South Carolina and you’re concerned about lead in your home, you can call 1-866-4NO-LEAD for general information or (803) 898-4214 for lead testing.

If you have a private well, request a sample kit to test for coliform bacteria, metals, and minerals from the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services.

If you have additional questions, you can contact the Greenville Water Laboratory at (864) 241-7838 or laboratory@greenvillewater.com.

What Steps are Greenville's Authorities Taking to Maintain or Improve Water Quality?

In addition to protecting its water resources from contamination, Greenville Water has several ongoing initiatives to improve water quality and educate residents about their water supply. Their website contains educational materials, including downloadable resources that parents and teachers can use to teach kids about tap water.

Educators can also book a professional speaker, schedule an in-school field trip, or request a group tour of a water treatment plant.

If you’re running a community event, you can also book a Greenville Water Service Station — that is, a portable tank supplying safe drinking water to your guests. The “Quench Buggy” has sixteen faucets while the “Water Buffalo” has nine.

To qualify, “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.”

Rates start at $100-$120 plus $75 per day.

Greenville Water Quality Woman Pours From Faucet

Is Greenville Water Quality Up to Par?

Greenville residents can rightly brag about having some of the best drinking water in the country. With protected water sources and state-of-the-art treatment plants, Greenville’s water quality exceeds that of many other U.S. cities. Nitrates, PFAS, and other harmful contaminants aren’t as big of a concern here as in other parts of the country.

Still, the water treatment process introduces some unwanted contaminants in the form of disinfection byproducts like haloacetic acids and TTHMs. Greenville residents may want to install a home water filter to reduce their exposure to these chemicals.

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