Tap Water Quality Report
Tap water quality in COLUMBIA, South Carolina
Tap water in COLUMBIA, South Carolina receives a grade of F (59/100) from TapWaterSafety.org. It's served by COLUMBIA CITY OF (SC4010001). The most significant water quality concerns are: PFAS contamination; Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline; Haloacetic acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline; Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline. Data sources: EPA SDWIS, EPA ECHO, EWG Tap Water Database.
What's in COLUMBIA's tap water
Top water quality concerns identified by the EPA and Environmental Working Group across the utility serving COLUMBIA.
PFAS contamination
Severe concernPerfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) detected. PFAS are persistent chemicals linked to cancer and immune effects with no known safe exposure threshold.
Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernHaloacetic acids (HAA9) detected at 35.4 ppb, 590x above the EWG health guideline of 0.06 ppb.
Haloacetic acids (HAA5) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernHaloacetic acids (HAA5) detected at 27.9 ppb, 279x above the EWG health guideline of 0.1 ppb.
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernTotal trihalomethanes (TTHMs) detected at 31.9 ppb, 213x above the EWG health guideline of 0.15 ppb.
EPA compliance record
Official U.S. EPA records for COLUMBIA CITY OF (SC4010001) (system ID SC4010001) for the last 3 years. Checked 2026-10-07.
| Rule | Type | Since | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule | Contaminant above the legal limit | 12/01/2024 | Open |
Source: U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO), from the Safe Drinking Water Information System. See EPA's full report.
Recommended filters for COLUMBIA
Filters matched to the specific contaminants in COLUMBIA's water supply.
Filter certified for PFOA/PFOS (NSF/ANSI 53 or 58)
$180-$750Reverse osmosis and some carbon block filters reduce PFAS. Look for certification to NSF/ANSI 53 or 58 for PFOA/PFOS.
Carbon filter certified for VOCs (NSF/ANSI 53)
$180-$599Activated carbon is effective for disinfection byproducts. Look for NSF/ANSI 53 VOC reduction.
Disclosure: TapWaterSafety earns a commission from purchases made through these links. This does not influence our scoring methodology or filter selection.
All contaminants detected in COLUMBIA's tap water
Every contaminant identified, compared side-by-side against US EPA legal limits, the EU Drinking Water Directive (2020/2184), WHO Guidelines, and California's Public Health Goal. Why we show multiple standards →
| Contaminant | Detected | EWG US health-based |
EPA US legal |
EU DWD Europe |
WHO global |
CA PHG strictest US |
Tested sample year |
Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haloacetic acids (HAA9) Disinfection byproduct |
35.4 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 590× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct |
27.9 ppb | 0.1 | 60.0 | 60 | — | — | — | 279× over |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct |
31.9 ppb | 0.15 | 80.0 | 100 | — | — | — | 213× over |
| Bromodichloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
9.17 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 153× over |
| Dichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
18.4 ppb | 0.2 | — | — | — | — | — | 92× over |
| Trichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
7.88 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 79× over |
| Chloroform Disinfection byproduct |
18.3 ppb | 0.4 | — | — | — | — | — | 46× over |
| Dibromoacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
1.28 ppb | 0.03 | — | — | — | — | — | 43× over |
| Dibromochloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
3.89 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 39× over |
| Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) PFAS |
0.69 ppt | 0.09 | 4.0 | 100 | 100 | 0.007 | — | 7.7× over |
| Radium, combined (-226 and -228) Radiological |
0.37 pCi/L | 0.05 | 5.0 | — | — | — | — | 7.4× over |
| Chromium (hexavalent) Heavy metal |
0.0886 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | — | — | 4.4× over |
| Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) PFAS |
0.86 ppt | 0.3 | 4.0 | 100 | 100 | 1 | — | 2.9× over |
| Chlorate Disinfection byproduct |
232.5 ppb | 210.0 | — | — | — | — | — | 1.1× over |
| Nitrate Inorganic |
0.152 ppm | 0.14 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | — | 1.1× over |
| Bromoform Disinfection byproduct |
0.501 ppb | 0.5 | — | — | — | — | — | 1.0× over |
| 1,4-Dioxane Semi-volatile organic compound |
0.193 ppb | 0.35 | — | — | 50 | 1 | — | Below guideline |
| Manganese Heavy metal |
7.46 ppb | 100.0 | — | 50 | 80 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Vanadium Other |
0.776 ppb | 21.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Molybdenum Other |
1.03 ppb | 40.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Monochloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.329 ppb | 53.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluoropentanoic Acid (PFPeA) PFAS |
4.85 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorohexanoic Acid (PFHxA) PFAS |
4.5 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Monobromoacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.0112 ppb | 25.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHPA) PFAS |
0.25 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) PFAS |
0.39 ppt | 2000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Strontium Radiological |
0.05 ppb | 1500.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| 2-Methoxyethanol Other |
0.0721 ppb | — | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Fluoride Inorganic |
0.632 ppm | — | 4.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | — | — | Below guideline |
All values in the unit of the detected level. Red cells indicate the detected level exceeds that standard. Some contaminants have limits in some jurisdictions but not others (shown as —). The "Tested" column shows the year each contaminant sample was collected.
Sources: US EPA, EU Drinking Water Directive 2020/2184, WHO Guidelines, California OEHHA PHGs, EWG Tap Water Database.
Treatment plant contact info
For service issues, water quality concerns, or to request a Consumer Confidence Report from COLUMBIA CITY OF (SC4010001).