FAQs

We’ve compiled a list of common questions we get asked most often. Simply click on the questions below to expand and see the answers.

Office hours are from 8:00am – 5:00pm, Monday – Friday.

Office is closed Saturday, Sunday and holidays.

864-269-5440, option 4

1719 Circle Road
Powdersville, SC 29642

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  • Cash, check or money order at Powdersville Water office during normal office hours or after hours in the drop box past the drive thru window
  • Payments can be mailed in the envelope provided with bill
  • Bank draft – click here for form and instructions
  • Auto Pay (using a credit card) – click here for more information
  • On line payments – click here
  • By phone- IVR (Interactive Voice Response) please dial 864-269-5440-option 5 and follow the instructions

Note: Visa, MasterCard or Discover cards are accepted

This payment option is not available at this time.

Visit our Set Up Service page.

For new commercial or multifamily residential development procedures, please see the Builders and Developers page. Our goal is to activate an account for an existing tap within 48 hours. Same day service is available for an additional fee. The fees for same day service are as follows:

Requests made for activation before 12:00 pm = $35.00
Requests made for activation after 12:00 pm = $47.00

See Set Up Service page for more information.

Same day service is not available for customers requiring the installation of a new connection (a new tap) to establish service. This type of service request will require permitting and construction that cannot be performed within 48 hours. Our goal is to perform all new service connections within 10 business days. Please contact our Customer Service Department at 864-269-5440 option 4 for details on how to request new connections to the water system.

Powdersville Water customers are billed monthly. Bills should arrive at approximately the same time each month and the due date is the same each month.

A 5% penalty will be added to the account if the monthly bill amount has not been paid by the due date. Accounts are subject to disconnection when two bills are past due and the total amount on the account has not been paid before 8:30am on Lock Day.
Powdersville Water has Lock Day four times a month for past due accounts based on a customer’s billing cycle. A meter will be locked for non-payment once the second bill has not been paid by the due date. At this time, if the customer has not paid the balance on the account in full by 8:30 am on Lock Day, the meter will be locked and a $70.00 Lock Day service fee added to the balance on the account. The total amount due including the Lock Day service fee must be paid to reactivate the account. We encourage all customers to pay all bills promptly to avoid any of these unnecessary fees. Tampering with a meter, such as cutting a lock, is a criminal offense and the customer will be held liable for such an action.

Meter technicians lock all meters and then begin the unlock process as payments are received for past due bills and fees. Payments received in the Powdersville Water office between 8:30 am and 5:00 pm will be unlocked the same day. Powdersville Water does not provide an after hours unlock service.

Please call Customer Service at 864-269-5440, option 4 (normal hours) or option 6 (after hours).

Depending on where you live, your drinking water originates from three different suppliers and three different bodies of water: Greenville Water (Lake Keowee), Anderson Regional Joint Water System (Lake Hartwell), and an auxiliary supplier Easley Combined Utilities (Saluda Lake).

The H2O (Help 2 Others) Program is a project developed by the Leadership Anderson Class XXII, a leadership program of the Anderson Chamber of Commerce. The program was created to assist Anderson County residents who are in financial need of obtaining drinking water services. All assistance is funded to those with demonstrated needs by the Anderson Interfaith Ministries (AIM). As a donor in the H2O Program, each of your water bills will be automatically “rounded up” to the next whole dollar. Your annual contribution will never be greater than $12.00. Powdersville Water customers can enroll in the program by simply checking the appropriate box on the payment stub, signing the form and returning it to our office. For many years this has proven to be a very effective way to help those in need of water service. Thank you for your participation!

Enroll in our H2O Program

Powdersville Water has a leak adjustment policy. Please call the Customer Service Department at 864-269-5440, option 4, for details.

Click here for form and instructions.

You should call Palmetto Utilities Protection Services, Inc.

Simply dial 811 at least 3 working days prior to digging.

A representative will assist you in getting the utility lines marked on your property.

Water Quality FAQ’s

Q: My water has a metallic taste
A: Metallic tastes in water can come from copper and iron service lines. We do not use either of these in our system, but could be in private plumbing.

Q: My water smells like rotten eggs
A: The rotten egg smell might be coming from the P-trap/S-trap located under the sink on your drain line.  Flush the sink with water to remove any debris in the trap that may be causing noxious odors.

Q: My water smells like sewer
A: The rotten egg smell might be coming from the P-trap/S-trap located under the sink on your drain line.  Flush the sink with water to remove any debris in the trap that may be causing noxious odors.

Q: My drinking water looks cloudy
A: Tiny air bubbles within the water may be the cause. This generally occurs in the winter as colder water traps more air and then when brought into a home, is heated back up by the plumbing. Sometimes it is the aerator on your sink faucet which is the screen at the very end of your tap. This is also a cause of reduced flow as the screen in your aerator, which mixes air into the flow to reduce excessive water use.  You should clean your aerator periodically.

Q: My drinking water is reddish-brown
A: Older galvanized pipes in private plumbing, along with rusting hot water tanks can cause your water to turn a reddish brown color. In some cases, if a specific fixture in your home does not get used on a regular basis, this sediment can build up, and be flushed out causing a temporary reddish brown color to appear.

Q: Some of my glasses come out of the dishwasher with an oily coating on them
A: A combination of too much dishwashing solution, coupled with our soft water will cause this type of coating. The solution is to reduce the amount of dish detergent you are using per wash load.

Q: Why are my ice cubes cloudy?
A: Air trapped within the water as it freezes can cause your ice cubes to become cloudy.

Q: Is the water safe to drink
A: Greenville Water is our primary water source, and is in the top 10% of the country as far as water quality and routinely meets and exceeds all state and federal water quality standards.

Q:  Do you have a Water Quality report available online?
A: Yes, you can go to our home page https://powdersvillewater.org/ hover your mouse over “Learning Center”, then click on “Water Quality” to see the most recent report.

Q: What if my water has a color to it, what should I do?
A: If your water has a brownish or rusty color, the color is a result of the presence of iron or rust. Most of the pipes in Powdersville Water used to deliver water to your home are made of PVC.  Ductile iron mains are lined with cement to lessen the contact between the water and the iron mains. However, when there is an upset in the system such as a water main break, or when a valve is operated or water flow direction is changed, debris may be stirred up. When this happens, the water is unpleasant to look at and taste, but it is not harmful. A discoloration problem is usually short-lived, and should be gone in a day or less once it is flushed from our water distribution system or your home plumbing.  Our water system is relatively young, so older house plumbing could be the cause.  Do not wash clothes when water is discolored.

Q: My water appears milky, what is this caused by
A: When cold, such as during the winter, water is rich in oxygen. When it enters our homes, the water warms up and the oxygen wants to escape. You turn on the tap and, like shaking up that bottle of warm soda, the air fizzes up. As the glass of water sits, you will see the water clear from the bottom of the glass upward, as the air bubbles rise and escape to the air. All of these tiny air bubbles may give the glass of water a milky appearance under natural or household lighting. The air bubbles are not harmful and will quickly dissipate.

Q: The water is making my skin itch?
A: Greenville’s water is considered very soft and thus many people tend to use way too much soap or laundry detergent when showering or doing laundry.  Try cutting back on the amount of soaps and detergents used to see if that helps with the problem.

Q: I have a pink or orange ring around my fixtures. What in the water is causing this?
A: What you are seeing is not actually in the water, but is an airborne bacteria called “Serratia Marcescens” It is not harmful, and can usually be removed by cleaning with a diluted bleach solution. Other than that, there is no real way to stop this airborne bacteria other than adding a dehumidifier to your home to lower your ambient humidity levels, or to dry out your sinks/fixtures after each use.  Also a regular cleaning regiment using a chlorine based bathroom cleaner will slow down the growth of such airborne bacteria

Q: Do we add fluoride to the water?
A: Yes, fluoride is added to the water at a concentration of about 0.7 parts per million (ppm) as required by SCDHEC.

Q: Do we use chloramines?
A: Yes, our primary source is Greenville Water.  Greenville Water has been using chloramines since the 1930s.  About 5% of the system (south end near SC81/I-85 interchange) uses Anderson Regional Joint Water, which is disinfected with miox (mixed oxidant).

Q: What can I use to remove the chlorine/chloramines from my water for tropical fish?
A: You can go to a pet/fish store and they have chemicals that can be added to your aquarium to remove the chlorine/chloramines.

Q: Why is the water in my bathtub blue?
A: While relatively small quantities of water appear to be colorless, water’s tint becomes a deeper blue with more depth (bathtub & swimming pools).  The blue hue of water is an intrinsic property and is caused by selective absorption and scattering of white light. Blue water can also indicate copper leaching from copper plumbing.  This could happen when there is a ground wire attached to copper pipes that’s allowing current to travel through, corroding plumbing pipes.   If this is happening then there will be high copper concentrations found in the water in the home or building.

Q: Why is my water yellow or brown?
A: If the discolored water only occurs in the hot water then more than likely there is a corroded hot water heater. Emptying and refilling the hot water heater should resolve the issue. Remember to follow manufacturer’s instructions for emptying the hot water heater. If the discolored water occurs in the cold water then contact Powdersville Water for assistance.

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