Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for customers in the Columbia area, including Palmetto and Alpine/Woodland residents.
Customer Care
To apply for new, transfer or close your service, select Start or Stop Service option on our website. For new or to transfer service, you will need to provide a copy of your lease or Hud statement, along with your state issued identification card. This can be uploaded at the time of application. Not providing this information will delay your account from being set up. You will receive a reference number when you complete this process. Please allow at least 3 business days for the application to be processed.
If you apply after business hours and the service is disconnected for failing to apply for service, your service will not be restored until the next business day upon receipt of all required documents have not been uploaded.
Please see the rates and tariff page for monthly charges depending on your service territory.
To close your current service, please go online to complete the process and provide a forwarding address for your final bill to be mailed to you directly.
Customer Care representatives are trained to assist you with a range of subjects, including account and billing inquiries, service order requests, or questions about your rates.
We strive to respond to email and phone inquiries in a prompt manner. Please follow the tips below to help speed up the process.
Tip #1: Be prepared and have the following information ready when calling or emailing us:
- Account name
- Account number
- Verification ID (PIN)
- Service address
- Description of the issue
Tip #2: Avoid calling when call volume is high between 8:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Customer Care is available Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. Call volume is usually heaviest on Mondays.
For even faster service, email SCMidlandsCustomerCare@swwc.com.
By E-mail: SCMidlandsCustomerCare@swwc.com
By Phone: 803-699-2422 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Eastern Time)
By Fax: 803-699-6925
By Mail:
South Carolina Water Utilities, Inc.
1713 Woodcreek Farms Rd
Elgin, SC 29045
We accept Visa, Mastercard, checks and money orders. If you are paying your bill online with a credit card, there is a $1,000 limit.
You can perform many functions related to your account through the portal such as:
- Make payments online
- View your statement
- Request paperless billing
- Review payment history
- Schedule a payment for a future date
If you apply for service after hours, your service will not be connected until the next business day. You should apply for service as soon as you close on your property or sign your lease. The utility is not responsible for any damages incurred if the property is disconnected when you move in and use the service. The after-hours answering service does not have access to property information. You will need to call customer care the next business day between 8:30am and 4:30pm at 803-699-2422.
Your bill does not have a set due date. Your bill is due 26 days from the bill date.
If your service is disconnected, a red door tag will be hung on your door. Do not use any water. There are fees applied to your account if service is interrupted. A regular reconnection fee is $35/$70 depending on your service territory. If we have to install an elder valve to disconnect service, you could be charged $250/$500 depending on the territory. This fee will have to be paid at the time of reconnection of service. Once your service is reconnected, a white door tag will be hung on your door.
Your payment must be received by 3pm for same day restoration. Once your full payment is received, under normal circumstances, service should be restored by 5pm the same business day. A white door tag will be hung on your door to indicate that service has been restored.
Our field personnel are not authorized to accept payments in any form. We have several ways to pay such as: over the phone, through the automated system, online through the portal or by mail. You can reach the IVR by calling 803-699-2422, option 3. If you are mailing your payment, you are responsible to ensure that it arrives on or before your due date to avoid any late fees.
If your service has been disconnected and you tamper with the equipment, you will be charged a $250 tampering fee. This will have to be paid at the time of reconnection.
We are excited to offer many ways to pay. You mail your payment back with the remittance slip of your bill. We encourage you to utilize our portal, ACH or IVR system free of charge for quicker posting to your account. It is free of charge. We accept check, Visa or Mastercard.
If your payment returns, you will be charged a fee of $25 for any initiated payment that returns. This includes stop payments initiated by the customer. We are charged a fee by our bank regardless of the reason for the return of your payment.
We are always here to assist if you are experiencing a financial hardship. If you would like to set up a payment agreement, you will be required to pay 50% of the balance upfront. If a representative takes your payment, they will create the installment plan at that time. If you make the payment at a later date on your own, you are responsible for notifying the office that you made the down payment so that an agreement can be created. (It is not an automatic process.) You will then be given up to 6 installments depending on the circumstances of your account. A paper copy will be mailed to you the next day after it has been created.
The installment amount PLUS your monthly charge will be due each month on the due date. If you make your payment late, or not at all, you will be sent a default letter. That provides you with 15 days until your service is disconnected. You cannot set up an installment plan if you already have one.
We partner with Wateree Community Action. You can visit their website at www.wcai.org. You can also see the link for South Carolina Community Assistance Resources for additional help.
If you are experiencing a sewer emergency, always call our line 803-699-2422 FIRST. We have an after-hours answering service that is available to assist you. If you call a plumber first, you will not be reimbursed for charges incurred.
All transactions are processed through a secure website and all data transactions are encrypted. Any personal information that you enter (like name, address, credit card number, etc.) will be used only for particular one-time transaction and will not be saved on our system or shared for any other purpose.
Email customer care at SCMidlandsCustomercare@swwc.com with your full name, account number, contact information and dispute details (including why you are disputing the bill and the amount and billing date period). A customer care representative will forward the information to billing for review. Allow at least 3 business days for a response.
Rates and Fees
A fee of $20 or $30 is used to defray the cost of initiating service. It will be billed to you on your first bill.
We are allowed to back bill a customer that benefitted from service while living in a home up to six months based on regulation 103-533.2. This determination will be based on the closing date on the HUD statement, or the lease agreement provided.
A fee of $20/$25.00 will be charged each customer to whom the Utility mails the notice as required by Commission Rule R.103-535.1 prior to service being disconnected. This fee assesses a portion of the clerical and mailing costs of such notices to the customers creating that cost.
The certified letter notice provides you with the time frame that you have to pay the indicated amount. Once you receive the notice and if it expires, you will owe all past due amounts on the account.
As a regulated company, we are required to charge rates that are set by the South Carolina Public Service Commission and fair to all customers. Utility rates are calculated based on the cost of operating and maintaining the water and wastewater systems, supplies and materials, as well as capital expenditures for infrastructure, such as pipelines, treatment facilities, pumping stations, storage tanks, equipment and buildings. Daily operating costs include but are not limited to; chemicals; laboratory testing; electricity; fuel; and the salaries of technicians, field operators, administrative personnel and others who help run the water utility.
Our rates are regulated by the South Carolina Public Service Commission. A 1.5% late fee is charged automatically if your payment is not received on the due date. There is no grace period.
