Columbia Water Treatment Plant

Columbia Water Treatment Plant is a water treatment plant in Columbia, SC, located at 300 Laurel St. It is owned and operated by the City of Columbia and functions as the drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater utility for the region. The utility maintains the city’s drinking water supply, collects and treats wastewater, designs and oversees construction of city projects, and monitors stormwater drainage and water quality throughout the city. It serves residents and businesses, allowing water accounts to be opened or transferred via a signed service contract. The facility holds a rating of 4.40 based on 17 reviews.

The utility draws water from the Broad River Diversion Canal and Lake Murray, treating it at two water treatment plants before delivering it to homes via underground pipes. The distribution system spans more than 2,400 miles of pipe, utilizing tanks and pump stations. Columbia Water fluoridates its water at all treatment facilities to provide an optimal level of fluoride for protection against tooth decay, maintaining levels just under the EPA recommended minimum of 0.7 milligrams per liter. Chlorine residuals are added to protect water from harmful contaminants. The City’s DES-certified laboratory performs more than 200,000 analyses each year to ensure water meets all EPA and SCDES standards at hundreds of distribution points. The utility also conducts voluntary testing for microbial contaminants and individual customer requests, such as lead testing, noting it has no known lead service lines in its service area.

Emergency preparedness is a major concern, with readiness programs meeting guidelines from the EPA and the Homeland Security Department. The utility issues Boil Water Advisories or Notices when contamination risks arise from water line breaks, loss of pressure, or treatment complications. Technicians conduct extensive bacteriological testing before repealing advisories. Daily fire hydrant flushing helps move water through the aging infrastructure to prevent stagnation and address sediment or iron deposits. The utility manages sanitary sewer overflows, processes encroachment permits for road right-of-way work, and handles new water and sewer service applications, including main line taps and fire hydrant meter requests.

Columbia Water Treatment Plant maintains a solid reputation among the customers it has served. It provides essential water, sewer, and stormwater services to the residents and businesses of Columbia, SC, relying on its extensive treatment and distribution network to serve the community.

The facility sits on Laurel St, near the Howard School Site and Columbia Marionette Theatre, both about a tenth of a mile away. It is also close to Riverfront Park and the Huger Street highway.

BizScoreAI gave the business a Content Quality score of 100 out of 100, which means the website answers customer questions clearly so AI assistants can quote it directly. It also earned a Technical score of 92 out of 100, showing the site is secure and easy for search engines to read without errors.

Services:

• Capital Improvement Projects
• Customer Meter Upgrades
• Drinking Water Services
• Stormwater Management
• Wastewater Management