Is West Columbia, SC tap water safe?
The short answer
2 of the 4 utilities serving West Columbia have 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 West Columbia and Bgwc I - 20.
City of West 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 7.9 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029.
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 West Columbia’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
City of West Columbia
South Carolina · serves 34,028 people · about 14,700 in West Columbia
2 results above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029 and 1 result above the health goal. The worst: PFOS at 7.9 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029.
1 health-based violation since 2016
- Open report
City of Cayce
South Carolina · serves 17,460 people · about 320 in West Columbia
2 results above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029. The worst: PFOS at 6.3 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Bgwc I - 20
South Carolina · serves 7,435 people · lists West Columbia among the places it serves
2 results above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029 and 1 result above the health goal. The worst: PFOS at 8.3 ppt, above EPA’s new limit, which takes effect in 2029.
1 health-based violation since 2016
- Open report
Silver Lake MHP
South Carolina · serves 122 people · lists West Columbia among the places it serves
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 2.0 ppb, above the health goal.
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 West Columbia’s water, which serves the most people here. Another utility’s report names what handles its own results.
Disclosure: TapBuff earns a commission if you buy through some links on this page. It does not change which standard or filter we name. As an Amazon Associate, TapBuff earns from qualifying purchases. How TapBuff makes money
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 West Columbia
The 3 labs South Carolina certifies closest to West Columbia, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Water Systems Inc.
West Columbia, SC · about 3 miles
Certified for bacteria
Pace Analytical Services LLC
West Columbia, SC · about 4 miles
Certified for bacteria
Alliance Technical Group LLC - Columbia
Columbia, SC · about 4 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, minerals and other inorganics
Which ZIP codes are in West Columbia: 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 West Columbia
Other towns in Lexington County with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read City of West 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