Is tap water safe in North Charleston?

EPA SDWIS shows no active health-based violation in this profile's reporting window. That is not the same as proving every contaminant is absent, and federal data can lag state and utility records.

How hard is the water in North Charleston, SC?

Nearby USGS observations produce an estimate of 25.7 ppm (1.5 grains per gallon), classified as soft. This is not a tap measurement.

Do I need a water softener in ZIP code 29405?

There is no high-hardness trigger in this profile. Confirm conditions with an at-home hardness test before purchasing equipment.

City water profile

North Charleston water quality

Compare local ZIP estimates, evidence quality, associated public systems, and compliance history for North Charleston, South Carolina.

Median indexed hardness

16PPM

7 indexed ZIPs

Range 13.4–25.7 PPM

State comparison: 3 PPM below
State hardness rank: #89 of 173
Matched utilities: 1
Active health records: 0

City summary

What the indexed records say

North Charleston has 7 published ZIP profiles across Charleston County and Dorchester County. The indexed median is 16 PPM, compared with 19 PPM across South Carolina.

Among the 173 South Carolinacities with an indexed median, North Charleston ranks #89from highest to lowest. Across all 236 state ZIP profiles, available estimates run from 4.2to 106 PPM.

The 13.4–25.7 PPM range shows how much the available ZIP estimates vary within the city label.

Hardness distribution

How local ZIP estimates compare

Soft7 ZIPs

Moderately hard0 ZIPs

Hard0 ZIPs

Very hard0 ZIPs

7 of 7 ZIP profiles have a hardness estimate. Bars count ZIP profiles, not households or laboratory samples.

Evidence quality

Distance, dates, and confidence

Median nearest distance: 9.1 miles
Profiles with evidence: 7/7

Confidence labels

High: 0Moderate: 7Low: 0

Dcws Ashley Phosphate (sc1820008)

PWSID SC1820008

Surface water

System population served: 26,536
Last reported: Jun 29, 2026

The system names this served city; Census place overlap links the city to this ZCTA.

Compliance history

What EPA records show

No active health-based violation appears among the associated systems in the represented EPA reporting quarter. This does not mean every contaminant was tested at every tap.

Record	System	Period	Status
TTHM	SC1820008	Oct 1, 2022	Resolved
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)	SC1820008	Oct 1, 2022	Resolved

Practical next steps

Move from index to evidence

1. Open your ZIP. Check distance, dates, confidence, and the associated utility.
2. Read the current CCR. Confirm source water, detections, limits, ranges, and notices.
3. Test the tap when needed. Confirm health concerns or treatment sizing with the right method.

Continue comparing

Other South Carolina communities

Adams Run

Charleston County

90 PPM median

Awendaw

Charleston County

90 PPM median

Charleston

Charleston County

26 PPM median

Edisto Beach

Charleston County

90 PPM median

Folly Beach

Charleston County

26 PPM median

Isle Of Palms

Charleston County

26 PPM median

Search all 173 South Carolina cities →

Questions people ask

About water in North Charleston

Is the water hard?

The indexed city median is 16 PPM. Open the ZIP report to verify the distance and confidence behind that estimate.

Is the tap water safe?

Compliance history is utility-wide and cannot guarantee conditions at every tap. Check current notices and test when address-specific evidence is needed.

Do I need treatment?

Choose treatment only after confirming the problem at the property. A softener targets hardness; contaminant treatment requires a matching, verified performance claim.