Mission

Water Treatment Facilities

The City of Columbia owns and operates two conventional surface water treatment plants using a screening, flocculation, sedimentation, filtration process, and over 2,000 miles of distribution mains serving all of the City of Columbia and substantial portions of Richland and Lexington Counties. The Lake Murray Plant draws water from Lake Murray and generally serves the area west of the Broad River and north of Interstate 20. The Columbia Canal Plant draws water from the Broad River Diversion Canal and generally serves the remaining portions of the service area. The system is designed, however, so that either Plant can supply water to the entire service area.

Wastewater Capacity

The City of Columbia owns and operates a biological wastewater treatment plant located at 1200 Simon Tree Lane at the intersection of Interstate 77 and the Congaree River in Richland County. The Metropolitan Wastewater Treatment Plant has a treatment capacity of 60 million gallons per day (MGD) and discharges into the Congaree River under National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit Number SC0020940. With over 900 miles of sewer lines, the Plant currently provides sewage treatment services for all of the City of Columbia, substantial portions of Richland County and some of Lexington County, and has an average daily flow of 35 MGD.