IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER

Columbia, SC: On December 15, 2024, the City of Columbia notified the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) that tests collected on Saturday, December 14, 2024 indicated that the drinking water being supplied to customers from its Canal Water Treatment Plant exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) drinking water standard, or Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL), for chlorite.

The Canal Water Treatment Plant provides drinking water to the portion of the City of Columbia’s service area below I-20. This notice is not for customers served by the City of Columbia’s Lake Murray Water Treatment Plant, generally north of I-20.

Chlorine dioxide is used in small amounts every day by Columbia Water at its Canal Water Treatment Plant to kill bacteria and other organisms that may be in drinking water. Chlorite is a disinfection byproduct from the use of chlorine dioxide.

The City of Columbia routinely monitors for the presence of drinking water contaminants, including chlorite. Monitoring results for the set of samples collected on December 14, 2024, showed that our system exceeded the EPA standard, or maximum contaminant level (MCL), of 1.0 mg/L for chlorite in the portion of the water distribution system supplied by the Canal Water Treatment Plant. The EPA’s standard for chlorite is 1.0 mg/L. Average sampling results received on December 15, 2024 showed chlorite levels of 1.33 mg/L.

The City of Columbia quickly evaluated the elevated chlorite levels in the water supply and took immediate action to resolve the issue. Steps included shutting down the chlorine dioxide production system at the Canal Water Treatment Plant, increasing pumping from the Lake Murray Water Treatment Plant to enhance water quality, and implementing more frequent chlorite testing. Additional samples were taken on Sunday, December 15, 2024, and results of these tests that became available on December 16, 2024, confirm that water quality meets all regulatory standards. The issue was effectively addressed and resolved within a day.

For this kind of violation, the City is required to issue a public notice within thirty (30) days so our customers know what happened, what they can do, and what the City is doing to correct this situation.

This is not an emergency. If it had been an emergency, City of Columbia customers would’ve been notified within 24 hours.

Prolonged exposure to chlorite in excess of the MCL is thought to effect the nervous systems of infants and young children and possibly the fetuses of pregnant women. Some people may experience anemia.

For more information, please contact Frank Eskridge at 803 476 0958 or Alejandra Beier at 803 733 8211 or at Columbia Water, 300 Laurel Street, Columbia, S.C. 29201.

This notice is being sent to you by City of Columbia Public Water System.

State Water System ID#: SC4010001          Date distributed: December 20, 2024

View our latest water quality report here