waterbycounty
EPA SDWIS

Fairfield County Water Quality

Fairfield County, South Carolina

Water Grade

C

Water Score

56.0

Violations

2

State Rank

#34

of 46 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

C

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

56/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

2

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

9.6%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Fairfield County

Water Verdict

Fairfield County receives a fair water quality assessment with a grade of C and a score of 56.0 out of 100. The water supply meets baseline federal standards, but there may be periods of elevated contaminant levels or infrastructure concerns worth monitoring.

Violation Context

Fairfield County has recorded 2 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 9.6 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Tap water in Fairfield County meets baseline standards, but residents who are immunocompromised or have young children may want to use an NSF-certified water filter as a precaution. With 2 recorded health violations, staying informed about utility communications and boil-water notices is especially important. For long-term peace of mind, request your utility's latest Consumer Confidence Report and consider independent water testing if you have specific health concerns.

Regional Context

Fairfield County has poorer water quality than the average county in South Carolina. Its water score is 8.9 points lower than the state average, suggesting more challenges with contamination control or infrastructure than neighboring counties.

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

24

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

9.4K

9,422 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Nutrient
  • Inorganics, Minor, Metals

Categories measured most frequently

Data from the EPA Water Quality Portal (WQP), aggregating monitoring records from federal, state, and tribal sources. Each measurement represents a single sample analyzed for a specific characteristic (e.g., E. coli, pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrogen).

Live USGS Streamgage

River & Stream Conditions

Current Discharge

1,350cfs

May 14, 7:00 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

26%

Well below typical

Primary Streamgage

BROAD RIVER AT ALSTON, SC

USGS site
02161000
Drainage area
4,790 sq mi
Long-term mean
5,277 cfs

One representative streamgage (the one with the largest drainage area in the county). Many counties have multiple gauges — this view summarizes the primary one. The long-term mean is the full-record annual average; "% of typical" compares the latest reading against that average.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the water quality in Fairfield County, South Carolina?
Fairfield County, South Carolina has a drinking-water quality grade of C with a score of 56.0/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 2 health-based drinking water violations over the past 5 years. Watershed health, monitoring records, and live streamflow are reported separately on this page.
Are there any water violations in Fairfield County?
Fairfield County has 2 health-based drinking water violations recorded by the EPA over the past 5 years. Health-based violations indicate instances where contaminant levels exceeded EPA Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs). Violations may have been resolved — check with your local water utility for current status.
How much water-quality monitoring happens in Fairfield County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 9,422 measurements from 24 monitoring sites in Fairfield County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Nutrient, Inorganics, Minor, Metals. Each measurement is a single sample analyzed for one characteristic (E. coli, pH, dissolved oxygen, etc.). High monitoring density means more scientific evidence behind any reported signal — it does not by itself indicate water quality.
What's happening with rivers in Fairfield County right now?
Fairfield County's primary USGS streamgage on the BROAD RIVER is currently reading 1,350 cubic feet per second — 26% of the long-term mean of 5,277.37 cfs. This is well below typical — often a signal of drought stress on source water. For genuine real-time data, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Fairfield County water compare to the South Carolina average?
Fairfield County's SDWIS water quality score of 56.0/100 is lower than the South Carolina state average of 64.9. The average water quality grade across South Carolina is C, based on data from 46 counties with available SDWIS data.
Is tap water safe to drink in Fairfield County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Fairfield County has a water quality grade of C (56.0/100). This indicates moderate compliance. Some violations have been recorded but overall standards are maintained. The grade speaks to the public water system, not the watershed — for watershed-level concerns, see the Watershed Health zone. For the most up-to-date information, contact your local water utility or review your Consumer Confidence Report (CCR).
Does Fairfield County have clean drinking water?
Fairfield County has 2 health-based drinking water violations according to EPA records. With a water quality score of 56.0/100 and grade C, the county's drinking water has had some compliance issues but continues to be monitored. Note: drinking-water compliance speaks to the public water system, not necessarily to the watershed itself — check the Watershed Health zone for ATTAINS §303(d) data.
How does Fairfield County rank for water quality in South Carolina?
Fairfield County ranks #34 out of 46 counties in South Carolina by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 56.0/100, it falls in the bottom third of counties statewide. The ranking reflects EPA SDWIS compliance only — not watershed impairment, monitoring density, or streamflow, which are tracked separately on this page.

Counties with Similar Water Quality

Lexington County

South Carolina

C

53.8

Water score

Aiken County

South Carolina

C

59.2

Water score

Beaufort County

South Carolina

C

59.3

Water score

Data Sources

Drinking-water compliance data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) via the ECHO enforcement database. Scores reflect compliance history and health-based violation counts.

Water-quality monitoring counts from the EPA Water Quality Portal (WQP) — federated USGS, EPA, and state agency sampling records over a rolling 5-year window.

Live streamflow from the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS) — continuous discharge measurements from the largest-drainage gauge in each county, compared against the full-record long-term annual mean.

Disclaimer: This data is informational only. It is not health, legal, or professional advice. For concerns about your specific water supply, contact your local water utility.

By Logan Johnson, Founder & Data EditorUpdated Reviewed by Logan Johnson, Founder & Data Editor

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