PFAS · South Carolina
PFAS in South Carolina drinking water: EPA’s final survey results
EPA’s national PFAS survey (UCMR 5) tested 163 of the community water systems that serve homes in South Carolina. 91 found at least one of 29 PFAS above the laboratory reporting level, and 49 had a PFOA or PFOS sampling-location yearly average at or above EPA’s 4.0 ppt limit. Samples were collected from January 2023 to June 2026.
Data as of EPA UCMR 5 final release, August 2026 (file dated Aug 28, 2026) · EPA SDWIS 2026Q2 (file dated Jul 9, 2026). How we build these pages
PFPeA was the compound South Carolina community systems found most often: 74 of 163 tested systems measured it above the reporting level. Across the country, 35% of surveyed community systems found at least one PFAS; in South Carolina the share is 56%. The largest South Carolina system with a detection, Columbia City of (Sc4010001), serves 354,068 people and found 7 of the 29 compounds.
Which PFAS were found most often in South Carolina
Each row counts the South Carolina community water systems where that compound was measured above the reporting level at least once. A detection is a measurement, not a violation: most of these compounds have no federal limit.
| Compound | Systems where found | Systems tested | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| PFPeA | 74 | 163 | 45% |
| PFHxA | 70 | 163 | 43% |
| PFBS | 66 | 163 | 40% |
| PFOS | 63 | 163 | 39% |
| PFOA | 62 | 163 | 38% |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) | 25 | 163 | 15% |
| PFHpA | 24 | 163 | 15% |
| PFBA | 23 | 163 | 14% |
| PFHxS | 12 | 163 | 7% |
South Carolina systems with the most PFAS found
The 10 surveyed community water systems that found the most different PFAS, with PFOA and PFOS compared to EPA’s 4.0 ppt limits on the yearly average at the highest sampling location. Larger systems come first when counts tie.
| Water system | People served | PFAS found (of 29) | PFOA | PFOS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laurens County W&s Comm (Sc3020001) SC3020001 | 44,866 | 9 | 5.0 ppt at or above the MCL | 8.1 ppt at or above the MCL |
| Clinton City of (Sc3010002) SC3010002 | 8,938 | 9 | 6.7 ppt at or above the MCL | 6.3 ppt at or above the MCL |
| Blacksburg Town of (Sc1110002) SC1110002 | 4,496 | 8 | 11.0 ppt at or above the MCL | 10.9 ppt at or above the MCL |
| Columbia City of (Sc4010001) SC4010001 | 354,068 | 7 | 5.8 ppt at or above the MCL | 7.6 ppt at or above the MCL |
| Gsw&sa (Sc2620004) SC2620004 | 252,840 | 7 | 4.2 ppt at or above the MCL | 4.4 ppt at or above the MCL |
| Myrtle Beach City of (Sc2610001) SC2610001 | 49,375 | 7 | 1.3 ppt below the MCL | 2.5 ppt below the MCL |
| N Myrtle Beach City of (Sc2610011) SC2610011 | 43,883 | 7 | 7.3 ppt at or above the MCL | 8.6 ppt at or above the MCL |
| Gcwsd Waccamaw Neck (Sc2220010) SC2220010 | 41,300 | 7 | 5.8 ppt at or above the MCL | 6.1 ppt at or above the MCL |
| Dcwa Knightsville (Sc1820001) SC1820001 | 40,141 | 7 | 5.9 ppt at or above the MCL | 7.2 ppt at or above the MCL |
| Fort Jackson (Sc4010501) SC4010501 | 31,000 | 7 | 6.2 ppt at or above the MCL | 6.8 ppt at or above the MCL |
Counties with the most systems that found PFAS
- Anderson County 13 of 13 surveyed systems
- Charleston County 7 of 7 surveyed systems
- Lexington County 7 of 10 surveyed systems
- Horry County 6 of 9 surveyed systems
- York County 6 of 7 surveyed systems
- Cherokee County 6 of 6 surveyed systems
- Berkeley County 4 of 4 surveyed systems
- Dorchester County 4 of 4 surveyed systems