Greenville water at a glance
- Water utility
- Greenville Water
- Hardness
- Very soft, averaging under 1 grain per gallon (Greenville Water)
- Disinfection
- Chloramines, used by Greenville Water since the 1930s (Greenville Water)
- Private wells
- Common in rural Greenville and Spartanburg counties
Which utility serves your home?
Around Greenville, water comes from several utilities:
- Greenville Water serves Greenville and much of Greenville County.
- Greer CPW serves Greer.
- Easley Combined Utilities serves Easley.
- Spartanburg Water serves Spartanburg and much of Spartanburg County.
Check your water bill to see which one serves you. Each publishes its own annual water quality report, and our test measures what actually reaches your tap.
Chlorine or chloramine: what's in Greenville Water?
| Chlorine | ChloramineYour water | |
|---|---|---|
| Stays active in the pipes | Shorter | Longer |
| Taste and smell | Stronger “pool” smell | Milder |
| Ordinary carbon filters | Remove it well | Remove it slowly |
| Whole-house filter media | Standard activated carbon | Catalytic carbon |
Chloramine in Greenville
Greenville Water has used chloramines since the 1930s. Chloramine stays stable in the pipes, which is why utilities use it, but it is harder to remove than chlorine and slips through basic carbon filters. Catalytic carbon is the whole-house media designed for it.
Chloramine also has to be removed for aquarium fish and home dialysis, which have their own specific treatment requirements.
City water or well water?
On city water, a whole-house system is usually a sediment stage plus carbon or catalytic carbon for taste and odor. Wells often need different media, such as an oxidizing filter for iron and sulfur, sometimes followed by a softener or UV. How whole-house filtration works.
What happens at your free test
Your free test measures hardness, chlorine or chloramine, iron, pH and total dissolved solids at your tap, and you keep the written report. We recommend a whole-house system only if your results call for it. How the free test works.
Where we work around Greenville
We test homes across Greenville, Simpsonville, Greer, Mauldin, Taylors and Travelers Rest.
Sources
- Greenville Water: chloramines FAQ (hardness and disinfection)
- SCDES: well water quality testing services
Frequently asked questions
Does a whole-house filter make Greenville water safe for my fish tank?
Catalytic carbon reduces chloramine, but aquarium water still needs a conditioner that neutralizes chloramine and ammonia. Ask your aquarium supplier for the right product.
Does a whole-house filter remove chloramine?
Standard carbon removes chloramine slowly. Catalytic carbon is designed for it and is what we use when testing shows chloramine in your water.
Whole-house filter or water softener?
They do different jobs. Filters target taste, odor, disinfectants and sediment; softeners target hardness minerals. Many homes need only one of them.