Is Lake Murray of Richland, SC tap water safe?
The short answer
1 of the 2 utilities serving Lake Murray of Richland has a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and South Carolina’s records: City of Columbia.
City of Columbia, which serves the most people here, has 2 results above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029 and 1 result above the health goal. The worst: PFOS at 8.6 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029.
The water from City of Columbia is soft, an average of 36 mg/L (2.1 grains per gallon). How it compares.
A town can be served by more than one utility, and some homes are on private wells. The name on your water bill tells you which is yours, and your ZIP code narrows it down. They are listed by how many people each serves in Lake Murray of Richland’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
City of Columbia
South Carolina · serves 354,068 people · about 3,300 in Lake Murray of Richland
2 results above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029 and 1 result above the health goal. The worst: PFOS at 8.6 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029. Hardness: soft, an average of 36 mg/L (2.1 grains per gallon).
2 health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Amicks Ferry WTR System
South Carolina · serves 3,937 people · under 100 in Lake Murray of Richland
2 results above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029 and 2 results above the health goal. The worst: PFOS at 7.6 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029.
No health-based violations since 2016
What handles it
Each of these is certified, on a certifier’s listing, for a result above a line in City of Columbia’s water, which serves the most people here. Another utility’s report names what handles its own results.
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ZeroWater 10 Cup Pitcher (ZP-010)
Pitcher
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53checked Oct. 4, 2026
Certified for: PFOS, PFOA, Lead
Aquasana Claryum Direct Connect (AQ-MF-1)
Under-sink carbon
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 16, 2026
Certified for: PFOS, PFOA, Lead
Express Water StreamLine Direct Connect System (USC001)
Under-sink carbon
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 16, 2026
Certified for: PFOS, PFOA, Lead
Water testing near Lake Murray of Richland
The 3 labs South Carolina certifies closest to Lake Murray of Richland, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Eurofins Columbia
Irmo, SC · about 6 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, minerals and other inorganics
Data Resources Incorporated
Columbia, SC · about 11 miles
Certified for bacteria
Alliance Technical Group LLC - Columbia
Columbia, SC · about 14 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, minerals and other inorganics
Which ZIP codes are in Lake Murray of Richland: Census 2020 relationship files. Which utilities serve them, and how many people: EPA SDWIS and EPA’s service area map. Each utility’s results: EPA UCMR 5, EPA SDWIS, and EPA’s and the state’s compliance monitoring, as its report lists them. How they are measured: methodology. Certified labs: SCDES, Commercial Environmental Laboratory Mapping (CELMapp), labs certified under the Safe Drinking Water Act; distances from the Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation area gazetteer.
Near Lake Murray of Richland
Towns nearby with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read City of Columbia’s full reportEvery result with its dates, the violations, and the certification claim that handles each finding.Open the report
- Filters for PFOSRanked by certification and what they cost over five years.The best water filters for PFAS, ranked
- On a private well?No utility tests a well. A certified lab test is the first step.How to test well water