Columbia City of (Sc4010001) Water Quality (South Carolina) – 2025 Report Results

We read 22 results from Columbia City of (Sc4010001)’s 2025 water quality report. No results over a legal limit; 7 above a health goal or guideline.

Serves about 319,500 people · Water system ID SC4010001 · Read the district’s 2025 report (opens in a new tab)

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Results from the 2025 report

Each number is copied from the district’s report and links to the page it’s printed on. Where the report lists several plants, wells or purchased water, the highest is shown.

Contaminant	Result	Health goal	Legal limit	What it means
Chloritehighest measured · range ND to 0.9 · Canal Plant, highest of 2 sources · 2025 report, page 2	0.9 ppm	0.05 ppm	1 ppm	Above the health goal18x the health goal
Gross alpha (radioactivity)highest measured · range ND to 0.87 · sampled 2021 · Treatment plants · 2025 report, page 3	0.87 pCi/L	0 pCi/L	15 pCi/L	Above the health goalThe health goal is zero
Lead90th percentile of 50 homes tested, 1 over the action level · sampled 2023 · Customer taps · 2025 report, page 2	6 ppb	0.2 ppb	15 ppb (action level)	Above the health goal30x the health goal
PFOA (a PFAS)average · range 4.8 to 6.9 · printed as 0.0058 ppb · Canal Plant, highest of 2 sources · 2025 report, page 4	5.8 ppt	0.007 ppt	4 ppt from 2029	Above the federal limit that takes effect in 20291.5x the 4 ppt federal limit that takes effect in 2029Not a violation yet: EPA's 4 ppt limit is final, but water systems don't have to meet it until 2029.
PFOS (a PFAS)average · range 6.2 to 8.6 · printed as 0.0076 ppb · Canal Plant, highest of 2 sources · 2025 report, page 4	7.6 ppt	1 ppt	4 ppt from 2029	Above the federal limit that takes effect in 20291.9x the 4 ppt federal limit that takes effect in 2029Not a violation yet: EPA's 4 ppt limit is final, but water systems don't have to meet it until 2029.
Radium (combined 226 + 228)highest measured · range ND to 0.74 · sampled 2021 · Treatment plants · 2025 report, page 3	0.74 pCi/L	0 pCi/L	5 pCi/L	Above the health goalThe health goal is zero
Total coliform bacteriahighest month · range ND to 3.4 · Distribution system · 2025 report, page 2	3.4 % positive	0 % positive	5 % positive	Above the health goalThe health goal is zero
Chloraminehighest running annual average · range ND to 4.5 · Distribution system · 2025 report, page 2	2.7 ppm	None set	4 ppm	Below the legal limit
Chlorideaverage · range 7.72 to 13.9 · System · 2025 report, page 4	10.8 ppm	—	250 ppm guideline	Within the guideline
Copper90th percentile of 50 homes tested, 0 over the action level · sampled 2023 · Customer taps · 2025 report, page 2	0.17 ppm	0.3 ppm	1.3 ppm (action level)	Below the health goal
Disinfection byproducts (HAA5)highest running annual average · range ND to 31.8 · Distribution system · 2025 report, page 2	24 ppb	None set	60 ppb	Below the legal limit
Disinfection byproducts (TTHM)highest running annual average · range 5.5 to 48 · Distribution system · 2025 report, page 2	30 ppb	None set	80 ppb	Below the legal limit
Fluoridehighest measured · range 0.05 to 0.79 · Treatment plants · 2025 report, page 2	0.79 ppm	1 ppm	4 ppm	Below the health goal
GenX (HFPO-DA, a PFAS)average · range 7.1 to 9.2 · printed as 0.0080 ppb · Lake Plant · 2025 report, page 4	8 ppt	None set	10 ppt from 2029	Below the legal limit
Nitrate (as N)highest measured · range ND to 0.52 · Treatment plants · 2025 report, page 2	0.52 ppm	10 ppm	10 ppm	Below the health goal
pHaverage · range 7.5 to 8.6 · System · 2025 report, page 4	7.9	—	—	Normal range
Seleniumhighest measured · range 4.2 to 5.1 · Treatment plants · 2025 report, page 2	5.1 ppb	30 ppb	50 ppb	Below the health goal
Sulfateaverage · range 14.2 to 25.3 · System · 2025 report, page 4	18.1 ppm	—	250 ppm guideline	Within the guideline
Turbidity (cloudiness)highest measured · Canal Plant, highest of 2 sources · 2025 report, page 2	0.13 NTU	None set	1 NTU	Below the legal limit
Hardnessaverage · range 1.17 to 2.75 · System · 2025 report, page 4	2.11 gpg (36 ppm)	—	—	Soft
PFBS (a PFAS)average · range 3.5 to 5.2 · printed as 0.0043 ppb · Canal Plant · 2025 report, page 4	4.3 ppt	None set	None	No health limit
Sodiumaverage · range 5 to 12 · System · 2025 report, page 4	7.3 ppm	None set	None	No health limit

Utility results describe the whole system, measured where water enters the pipes, not your tap. Your home’s plumbing can add lead or copper.

EPA testing for PFAS and lithium

EPA’s own nationwide testing (UCMR 5) found these in Columbia City of (Sc4010001)’s water between Dec 2024 and Sep 2025. These are EPA lab results, separate from the district’s report. Anything not listed was not detected.

PFOA6.9 pptFound in 6 of 8 samples · highest resultAbove the federal limit that takes effect in 2029 (4 ppt)
PFOS8.6 pptFound in 6 of 8 samples · highest resultAbove the federal limit that takes effect in 2029 (4 ppt)
HFPO-DA (GenX)9.2 pptFound in 5 of 8 samples · highest resultNo federal limit in force for this one
PFBS5.2 pptFound in 4 of 8 samples · highest resultNo federal limit in force for this one

Source: EPA UCMR 5 occurrence data. The highest single result is shown; one high sample doesn’t mean every glass is that high.

What you can do

Nothing here is an emergency notice: if the district has a violation, it must tell customers directly. If you’d like to lower these at your tap, these are the treatments that remove them, and the catalog shows the models certified for each. Ranking is by certified removal; commissions never change the order.