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Water Service

LCWSC endeavors to supply water throughout Laurens County at the best possible rate while allowing LCWSC to maintain and upgrade its water system to ensure quality drinking water. In doing so, LCWSC faces challenges that many other water providers do not. Like most rural water systems, LCWSC must lay miles of water lines through sometimes sparsely populated areas of the county. This requires that LCWSC spend more money to supply fewer customers than more densely populated municipal water systems. 

Unfortunately, the combined challenge of debt and distance between customers generally requires higher water rates than in larger metropolitan areas. However, we strive to keep your rates minimal. Please see a list of comparison rates for neighboring service areas. We feel that a growing rural residential population requires and deserves a good public water system. Plans for more line extensions and improved lines will provide more water to more areas and will improve the county’s standing as an industrial/commercial site. In addition, these upgrades result in improved fire safety and lower homeowner insurance rates by adding a greater number of fire hydrants.

The goal of LCWSC is to provide our customers with high quality, safe water that complies with state regulations.  LCWSC has adopted a Cross Connection Control and Residential Valve Installation Policy.  Click the link to view the details.

Note Regarding Pressure Regulators (PRV)

Low pressure may reflect a problem in LCWSC’s lines or a problem with the pressure regulator. Low pressure restricted to one customer is an indication of a problem with the pressure regulator or a leak in the customer’s line. Before calling LCWSC to report low water pressure, customers should check with neighbors to determine whether they are also experiencing low-pressure problems.

Pressure Regulators

Due to the large size of LCWSC’s system, relatively high water pressure is required within the supply lines. Customers should control this pressure with a pressure regulator. Low pressure may reflect a problem in LCWSC’s lines or a problem with the pressure regulator. Before calling LCWSC to report low water pressure, customers should check with neighbors to determine whether they are also experiencing low pressure problems. Low pressure restricted to one customer is an indication of a problem with the pressure regulator or a leak in the customer’s line.

South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control prohibits the simultaneous connection of public water systems and private wells. Customers connected to the LCWSC system may maintain a well as long as the system supplied by the well never connects to the system supplied by LCWSC. LCWSC customers frequently maintain a well for watering gardens, lawns, or livestock.

Regardless of the way you use water — for drinking, watering the garden, or other household purposes — you can count on safe water from the Laurens County Water and Sewer Commission (LCWSC).

That safety record is verified through periodic water quality testing performed under guidelines of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) formerly DHEC.  SCDES and EPA prescribe regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems.  
Click this link to view our Consumer Confidence Report

Locating Your Meter

Your water meter should be located in front of your residence or commercial business, near the road. The meter is located below ground in a black box to protect it from damage and possible freezing. The meter dial will be face-up and may be covered by a plastic lid. 

Leak Detection

Check your plumbing fixtures and exposed pipes frequently and listen for the sound of running water or gathering puddles of water . If you are unable to find a leak, close all water outlets (faucets and taps) and check your meter just to be certain.

Lift the small metal lid located in the center of the water meter box cover. The meter box is generally located close to the street side of your property line. Examine the leak indicator (small red star or diamond). If there is any movement you have a hidden leak. If a repair is not made, a leak will gradually grow larger, so it is best to find and repair this leak as soon as possible.

Most people are surprised how much water is wasted with a leaky toilet. Not only can this result in higher water bills, but it can put a strain on septic tank systems. A quick check can be made by putting two drops of food coloring into you toilet tank. Without flushing, watch the toilet bowl for about 20 minutes. If the food coloring appears in the toilet bowl, you have a leak that should be fixed immediately.

One Residence Per Meter

LCWSC policy prohibits more than one residential dwelling and/or small business per 3/4-inch meter. Trailer parks, commercial buildings or multi-unit business malls require at least a 1-inch meter for service.

Tampering with Meters

South Carolina law prohibits tampering with electric, gas, or water meters in order to benefit from the appearance of reduced usage. The law provides for fines of up to $500 and 30 days in jail for a first offense of tampering. LCWSC prosecutes customers who break locks or otherwise tampers with meters when service has been interrupted. Customers may obtain a copy of the law by calling our office.

LCWSC Fire Line Policy

The policy of LCWSC shall be to allow non-metered fire line taps where LCWSC has the willingness and ability to serve the proposed fire sprinkler system directly from the water distribution system.  A fire meter may be required where a fire line system includes tanks or pumps, or where it is otherwise deemed necessary by LCWSC. If required, the fire meter will be owned and maintained by the LCWSC, and will be read and billed monthly.  Non-metered accounts will be charged a flat monthly fee to cover the cost of maintenance and inspection of the fire line connection, including monthly meter reading of detector-check backflow devices. (See Fire Line Fee Schedule)  The LCWSC Engineering Department shall approve each fire line connection prior to installation. The approval process will establish that the LCWSC has willingness and ability to serve the proposed fire sprinkler system and that each connection to our distribution system will meet the latest design and material specifications adopted by LCWSC. 

At the discretion of the Executive Director, separate fees shall be charged to the customer for conducting a flow test and for review and approval of calculations, plans and specifications. If the fire line connection is approved, a separate fee shall be charged to cover the cost of construction inspection.

The Laurens County Water and Sewer Commission (LCWSC) strives to position itself through proper planning and fiscal responsibility to self-fund most water system improvements.  Most, if not all, of these self-funded improvements are large projects that benefit the entire County.  These projects can include, but are not limited to, new elevated tanks or a large transmission waterline and pump station to replace existing infrastructure that is now too small to meet customer demand. 

Where possible the LCWSC plans improvements that will allow us to serve new customers, but unfortunately some County residents still live in areas where public water access is not an option.  In such situations there are not enough potential new customers to offset the cost that LCWSC would incur to extend waterlines into these areas, even if these costs were spread out over 10 or even 15 years. 

For this reason, the LCWSC has a Water Line Extension Policy whereas it will extend new waterlines to customers that fund part of the project by paying up front for the cost of materials and other significant project costs, such as rock removal or driveway repairs.  These costs typically represent 40% of the total project cost and depending on the size of the project and the number of landowners participating in the project, can be substantially less than drilling a new well.

If you are interested in finding out more about this policy or about participating in an existing project, please contact our Customer Service Department at 864-682-3250.