Lexington County Water Quality: 3 Cities Ranked by the Records
Lexington County, South Carolina: 3 city reports built from EPA and utility records. A county has many suppliers; each city shows the system that serves it.
Highest result for each contaminant
One row per contaminant: the highest result any system in the county reported, against its limit. Open a row for the systems behind it.
Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)Detected in 3 systems4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024) · US EPAHighest7.9 ng/L
- WEST COLUMBIA CITY OF (SC3210004)7.9 ng/LSample date: 2024-12-10 to 2025-09-10
- CAYCE CITY OF (SC3210003)6.3 ng/LSample date: 2025-02-24 to 2025-12-10
- LEXINGTON TOWN OF (3210001)5.7 ng/LSample date: 2023-07-18 to 2024-04-15
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)Detected in 3 systems4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024) · US EPAHighest6.1 ng/L
- WEST COLUMBIA CITY OF (SC3210004)6.1 ng/LSample date: 2024-12-10 to 2025-09-10
- CAYCE CITY OF (SC3210003)5.5 ng/LSample date: 2025-02-24 to 2025-12-10
- LEXINGTON TOWN OF (3210001)4.4 ng/LSample date: 2023-07-18 to 2024-04-15
Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA) (GenX chemicals)Detected in 3 systems10 ng/L federal MCL (2024) · US EPAHighest11.6 ng/L
- CAYCE CITY OF (SC3210003)11.6 ng/LSample date: 2025-02-24 to 2025-12-10
- WEST COLUMBIA CITY OF (SC3210004)9.7 ng/LSample date: 2024-12-10 to 2025-09-10
- LEXINGTON TOWN OF (3210001)9.1 ng/LSample date: 2023-07-18 to 2024-04-15
Lead (90th percentile)Detected in 2 systems of 3 tested15 µg/L federal action level · US EPAHighest4 µg/L
- LEXINGTON TOWN OF (3210001)4 µg/LMonitoring period: 2023–2025
- WEST COLUMBIA CITY OF (SC3210004)3 µg/LMonitoring period: 2023–2025
- CAYCE CITY OF (SC3210003)Not detectedMonitoring period: 2021–2023
Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS)Detected in 2 systems of 3 tested2,000 ng/L EPA health advisory (screening, not a legal limit) · US EPAHighest4.1 ng/L
- WEST COLUMBIA CITY OF (SC3210004)4.1 ng/LSample date: 2024-12-10 to 2025-09-10
- CAYCE CITY OF (SC3210003)3.8 ng/LSample date: 2025-02-24 to 2025-12-10
- LEXINGTON TOWN OF (3210001)Not detected · below 3.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2023-07-18 to 2024-04-15
Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA)Detected in 3 systems400,000 ng/L Michigan EGLE state MCL (strictest US state) · Michigan EGLEHighest5.3 ng/L
- WEST COLUMBIA CITY OF (SC3210004)5.3 ng/LSample date: 2024-12-10 to 2025-09-10
- CAYCE CITY OF (SC3210003)4.9 ng/LSample date: 2025-02-24 to 2025-12-10
- LEXINGTON TOWN OF (3210001)4.3 ng/LSample date: 2023-07-18 to 2024-04-15
Perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA)Detected in 3 systemsNo federal or state limit; shown for transparencyHighest5.9 ng/L
- WEST COLUMBIA CITY OF (SC3210004)5.9 ng/LSample date: 2024-12-10 to 2025-09-10
- CAYCE CITY OF (SC3210003)5 ng/LSample date: 2025-02-24 to 2025-12-10
- LEXINGTON TOWN OF (3210001)4.5 ng/LSample date: 2023-07-18 to 2024-04-15
24 substances tested, none detected in any systemShow
Tested in these 3 systems: CAYCE CITY OF (SC3210003), LEXINGTON TOWN OF (3210001), WEST COLUMBIA CITY OF (SC3210004)
- 11-Chloroeicosafluoro-3-oxaundecane-1-sulfonic acid (11Cl-PF3OUdS)
- 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorodecane sulfonic acid (8:2 FTS)
- 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (4:2 FTS)
- 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (6:2 FTS)
- 4,8-Dioxa-3H-perfluorononanoic acid (ADONA)
- 9-Chlorohexadecafluoro-3-oxanone-1-sulfonic acid (9Cl-PF3ONS)
- Lithium
- N-ethyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NEtFOSAA)
- N-methyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NMeFOSAA)
- Nonafluoro-3,6-dioxaheptanoic acid (NFDHA)
- Perfluoro (2-ethoxyethane) sulfonic acid (PFEESA)
- Perfluoro-3-methoxypropanoic acid (PFMPA)
- Perfluoro-4-methoxybutanoic acid (PFMBA)
- Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA)
- Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA)
- Perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA)
- Perfluoroheptanesulfonic acid (PFHpS)
- Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA)
- Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS)
- Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA)
- Perfluoropentanesulfonic acid (PFPeS)
- Perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTA)
- Perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA)
- Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA)
Cities ranked by the records
Ranked by the Purity Score of each city's main water system, highest first. Scores belong to water systems; there is no county score. The score is computed only from contaminants measured in the published EPA record, so this ranks the record, not which city's water is safest. How the score works.
0of 3 cities above the 15 µg/L action level
Based on each system's 90th-percentile result. Lead from household plumbing isn't in this record.
Lead in South CarolinaLargest water systems
- West ColumbiaWEST COLUMBIA CITY OF (SC3210004) · SC321000434,028 served
- LexingtonLEXINGTON TOWN OF (3210001) · SC321000124,284 served
- CayceCAYCE CITY OF (SC3210003) · SC321000317,460 served
Frequently asked
How does Lexington County tap water compare across cities?
PurityMap ranks 3 cities in Lexington County by the Purity Score of each city's main water system, computed only from contaminants measured in the published EPA record. Scores belong to water systems, not to cities. The highest published score is Cayce's main water system: CAYCE CITY OF (SC3210003) · PWSID SC3210003 · Purity Score 66 (Fair) · Confidence: moderate · Assessed at the water-system level. The ranking compares the records, not which city's water is safest, and your own tap can differ with household plumbing.
How many Lexington County cities had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit?
3 of 3 Lexington County city reports had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit in EPA's UCMR 5 testing, including West Columbia (PFOS 7.9 ng/L), Cayce (PFOS 6.3 ng/L), Lexington (PFOS 5.7 ng/L). That limit is judged on a yearly average, and water systems have until 2029 to meet it, so a single sample is not a violation. PFAS were detected at any level in 3.
Is there lead in Lexington County tap water?
Utilities report lead as a 90th-percentile result from home taps. 2 of 3 Lexington County cities reported a value above zero, and none was above the 15 µg/L federal action level. Lead usually comes from a building's own pipes and fixtures, so only a test at your tap tells you what you drink.
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