Infrastructure
Water & Air
South Carolina has an abundance of clean, clear water and air – ideal for business and pleasure. The state’s air quality ranks among the highest in the nation.
Some 33 billion gallons of clean water per day flow through the state from two of the largest river basins on the East Coast. South Carolina has an abundance of surface water resources. Four major river basins in the state – the Savannah, ACE (Ashepoo, Combahee and Edisto), Santee and Pee Dee – include 11,000 miles of rivers and streams.
Currently, about 5.8 billion gallons are withdrawn daily from the state’s surface waters to supply municipal, industrial, agricultural and thermoelectric power generation needs. About 6% of this water is used consumptively and not returned to the resource. The surface water supports many in stream uses such as hydroelectric power production, wastewater assimilation, navigation and recreational activities including boating, swimming and fishing. High-tolerance wastewater systems in South Carolina require less pretreatment, resulting in lower operating costs for wastewater disposal.