DHEC Marks Drinking Water Week (May 1-7)

It’s Drinking Water Week (May 1-7, 2022) and an excellent opportunity to highlight the men and women around the state that work diligently every day to make sure that the state’s drinking water supply remains safe. This includes DHEC staff members from the Bureau of Water and the Bureau of Environmental Health Services as well as the managers and operators of the 2,534 public water systems serving 4.4 million people in South Carolina.   

Safe and plentiful drinking water can be easy to take for granted, but in reality, it takes the combined efforts of thousands of drinking water professionals across the state to make sure the water flows daily and remains safe for all its intended uses (drinking, bathing, etc.).   

On the front lines are public water system operators who are often called upon to work nights and weekends. During these difficult times, these professionals are not able to work from home, and we thank them for continuing to operate public water systems to make sure drinking water coming to our homes is safe and continuously available.   

Due to the tireless efforts of our drinking water staff members, South Carolina maintains one of the highest overall compliance rates in the nation. When inevitable violations do occur, we have staff dedicated to seeing that the public water system returns to compliance as soon as possible.  

So, during Drinking Water Week, or anytime you draw a glass of water or fill your coffee pot, raise a glass to the multitude of professionals.