Myrtle Beach water at a glance
- Water utility
- Grand Strand Water & Sewer Authority (GSWSA), delivered through the City of Myrtle Beach
- Hardness
- About 54 mg/L (roughly 3 grains per gallon), classified soft (City of Myrtle Beach)
- Source
- The Intracoastal Waterway, fed by the Waccamaw and Pee Dee rivers, treated at GSWSA's Myrtle Beach plant (GSWSA)
- Disinfection
- Chloramine, GSWSA's primary disinfectant since 1993 (GSWSA)
- Private wells
- Common in unincorporated Horry County outside utility service areas
Which utility serves your home?
Around Myrtle Beach, water comes from several utilities:
- City of Myrtle Beach serves homes inside city limits, with water supplied by GSWSA.
- Grand Strand Water & Sewer Authority (GSWSA) serves much of unincorporated Horry County.
- City of North Myrtle Beach serves North Myrtle Beach, which buys part of its water from GSWSA's Bull Creek plant.
Check your water bill to see which one serves you. Each publishes its own annual water quality report, and our test measures what actually reaches your tap.
Where Myrtle Beach's city water comes from
- SourceThe Intracoastal Waterway, fed by the Waccamaw and Pee Dee rivers
- TreatmentGSWSA Myrtle Beach Water Treatment Plant, with ozone
- DisinfectionChloramine, GSWSA’s primary disinfectant since 1993
- Your tapThen your own pipes and water heater, which our free test checks
Drinking water in Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach's water is treated by GSWSA, monitored under federal and state rules, and reported each year in the utility's water quality report. An under-sink RO system is for households that want an extra barrier for drinking and cooking water: lower PFAS, less lead from older fixtures, and fewer dissolved solids in coffee, ice and baby formula.
It also suits homes that double as rentals, since guests get filtered water at the kitchen tap without cases of bottled water in the pantry.
PFAS and Myrtle Beach water
The EPA set the first national drinking water limits for several PFAS in 2024, and utilities publish their monitoring in annual water quality reports. Check GSWSA's latest report for your area; RO adds a second barrier at your kitchen tap.
What reverse osmosis reduces
Certified systems reduce dissolved solids, lead, many PFAS compounds, nitrates and arsenic, and their carbon stages take out chlorine or chloramine taste. Look for certification to NSF/ANSI 58 for the contaminants you care about. How reverse osmosis works.
What happens at your free test
Your free test measures hardness, chlorine or chloramine, iron, pH and total dissolved solids at your tap, and you keep the written report. We recommend a reverse osmosis system only if your results call for it. How the free test works.
Where we work around Myrtle Beach
We test homes across Myrtle Beach, Carolina Forest, Socastee, Forestbrook and Surfside Beach.
Sources
- City of Myrtle Beach: treated tap water classified as soft
- GSWSA: Myrtle Beach Water Treatment Plant (Intracoastal Waterway source, ozone treatment)
- GSWSA: chloramine FAQ (chloramine is the primary disinfectant, since 1993)
- SCDES: well water quality testing services
Frequently asked questions
Is Myrtle Beach tap water safe to drink?
It is treated and regulated, and GSWSA publishes an annual water quality report. Reverse osmosis is an optional extra barrier for drinking water, not a requirement.
Does reverse osmosis remove PFAS?
Reverse osmosis is one of the most effective home treatments for PFAS. Certified systems list which PFAS they were tested to reduce.
Where does the system go?
Under the kitchen sink, with its own faucet. It can also feed a refrigerator or ice maker.