WATER

If the problem has occurred suddenly, there may be a break in plumbing. Check all of your faucets to see if it is your plumbing. If all faucets are affected, there may be a nearby main break but it could be from an unusually high demand on the system.

Check with neighbors to see if they are experiencing a similar problem. If the answer is yes, call us at 864-942-8100. Otherwise check for signs of a leak and contact a plumber. You can turn off all of your taps and check your water meter.

If you suspect there is a leak somewhere in your plumbing, try these easy steps to locate it.

Observe your meter
• Read the water meter, noting the position of the clock-style hand that records individual gallons.
• Wait at least 15 minutes without using water.
• Look at the meter again to see if the hand moved. If it did not, there are probably no leaks. Waiting longer between meter readings (overnight, for instance) might help you detect slow or intermittent leaks.
• If the meter hand moved, check all of your faucets for visible leaks.

To check the toilets for leaks
• CPW has tablets available free with instructions to help you find any leaks.
• Repairing the leak is normally inexpensive and easy to do. Replacement part kits are available at most hardware stores.

If there appears to be no leaks inside your home, check for underground leaks
• Turn off water at the house cut off.
• Open faucet to verify that the valve is working, the water flow should stop completely.
• Go outside to the meter—if meter is still running, there is a leak somewhere in your plumbing between the meter and the house.

***After making repairs Repeat the meter reading procedure to verify that leak(s) has been properly repaired.

Water meters are all outside, usually in the right of way near the street.

Disnfectant is used to kill harmful bacteria that may be present in the source water. All systems receiving
water from a source are required by federal law to disinfect the water as part of treatment. Greenwood CPW
uses a combination of chlorine and ammonia to produce chloramine. Chloramine is less volatile, stays in the
water longer to ensure proper disinfection in far reaches of the network, and is less reactive with organic
matter thereby reducing the risk of disinfection by-products.

Greenwood CPW takes pride in maintaining the water distribution facilities. As a part
of routine maintenance and in accordance with requirements from DHEC, we operate a
hydrant testing and flushing program. Hydrant testing and water main flushing is an
important preventative maintenance activity that:
- verifies proper operation of the hydrants
- evaluates the available flow to the hydrants
- allows the utility to deliver the highest quality water possible to customers
- removes mineral and sediment build up from the water mains

Greenwood CPW withdraws water from Lake Greenwood. The water is treated to remove sediment
and other contaminants at the W.R. Wise Water Treatment Plant. The plant adds proper disinfection
and pumps the treated water to various elevated storage facilities in the distribution network. The
water is delivered to customers through an elaborate network of piping designed for resilience and reliability.

CPW repairs leaks on the water main (in the street), the service line (from the main to the meter) and the meter. Leaks on the customer side of the meter, including the pipe between the meter and the building, the irrigation system, and plumbing inside the building are the responsibility of the customer.

Water leaks may be caused by ground movement, pipe corrosion, soil conditions, age of the pipe and materials, or external damage (i.e. contractor cutting a line).

No, unless CPW cuts the sewer line while working. Greenwood Metro is responsible for repairing sewer leaks. If you suspect a sewer leak or observe an overflowing man hole, please call Greenwood Metro at: 943-8000.

In some cases, it may be necessary to turn the water off while we make repairs. CPW crews will attempt to notify customers if a shutdown is planned. However, for many emergencies, work must be done quickly and we may not be able to notify all affected customers.

Leaks are ranked in priority and there are several factors that are taken into consideration when ranking the leaks for repair. These factors include public safety, severity of the leak, environmental concerns, potential for property damage, unsafe traffic condition and other issues that are specific to each leak situation. Typically large leaks have the highest priority. If the leak is small and is not causing any significant problems, the repair will be scheduled so that we may notify customers and other utilities of the work that is proposed to be done to repair the leak. South Carolina State Law requires that we give everyone 72-hour notice (3 working days, excluding weekends and holidays) for utilites to be located before digging on scheduled projects (i.e. non-emergencies).

CPW responds to all emergencies and will make emergency repairs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year long. Non-emergency work, or planned maintenance, is typically scheduled during normal business hours. Although, sometimes non-emergency work may be done after normal business hours to accommodate traffic, business or other customer concerns.

It is important to know where your water cut-off is and how to work it. There should be a valve on your side of the water meter and it is usually close to where the water enters your home. If you can’t find it, call CPW and request assistance, someone will come out and help you locate it. Knowing where your valve is can save you time in the event of a leak. However, if you can’t find your valve or don’t have one (some older homes built prior to current building codes), you can always call CPW to cut your water off at the meter. Please be advised that we will come as quickly as possible, but during times of extreme cold, there may be a back log of requests. It is also very important to know if your water heater is gas or electric and if you have recirculation pumps. If you have a leak on your side of the meter and water is cut off to your home, your water heater and/or recirculation pumps can be damaged. You should cut them off at the circuit breaker in the event of loss of water, but remember to cut it back on once water is restored.

Before a freeze,

All outside exposed piping should be insulated.

If temperatures are expected to fall below freezing for any extended period of time, you may want to consider allowing the faucets to drip at a slow rate (1 drip every few seconds) to keep the water moving. Also, you can open the cabinet under the sink to allow warm air to circulate around the fixtures.
If the pipes freeze, open faucets remove any insulation and use a hair dryer to thaw. Never use any type of torch or open flame to thaw a pipe. If you need to have CPW cut your water off, please remember to call 942-8100. Also, only the resident of that address may have the water cut off. If you go out of town, please be sure you leave someone (such as a close relative or neighbor) numbers where you can be reached. This will allow for someone to make contact, in case there is need to have your water turned off.

Remember to Call 811 Before You Dig

No, Greenwood CPW does not endorse any type of filtration equipment for homeowners to use nor does Greenwood CPW require any home filtration systems for tap water from the meter. Greenwood CPW drinking water at the point of delivery meets or exceeds all federal and state drinking water regulations and is deemed safe to drink without any filtration system.

Click here for tips.