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Contact:  Mayor Gerald Wright

(803) 793-3734

Denmark Water Supply Receives Top Rating in DHEC Inspection

DENMARK, SC, January 15, 2021 -- The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) has awarded the City of Denmark water supply its highest rating following the latest sanitary survey, confirming the system’s ability to provide a continuous supply of safe drinking water to its customers.

A primary evaluation tool of DHEC’s Drinking Water Protection Division, sanitary surveys are performed on all public water systems in the state every one to five years depending on system classification. Based on survey results, the system is rated Satisfactory, Needs Improvement, or Unsatisfactory with Satisfactory being the top rating.

The city’s water supply received an overall satisfactory rating with emphasis in seven key areas, including the flushing program which helps maintain disinfectant levels throughout the system and prevents water quality issues associated with stagnant, discolored or sediment-laden water.

DHEC also awarded a Satisfactory rating for the system’s protection from contamination, including contamination due to surface water runoff, local ground contamination and contamination due to animals and insects.  Also rated Satisfactory was the system’s Sample Siting Plan which ensures microbiological contamination cannot exist anywhere in the distribution system without being detected.

Satisfactory ratings were also achieved in the areas of cross connection control, fire flow, valve and hydrant maintenance, and corrections from previous surveys. 

         Components of a Public Drinking Water System that Uses Groundwater (Source:  DHEC)

The City of Denmark Public Water System is a small rural water system that serves a population of approximately 4,000 customers, including 3,500 residents and 500 students at two local colleges, and commercial and industrial properties.

The system has a rated capacity of 1,015,680 gallons per day. Two elevated storage tanks with a total volume of approximately 375,000 gallons serve city residents. The wells draw groundwater from an aquifer approximately 300 feet below ground. The water is treated with chlorine to disinfect for bacteria prior to distribution.

More information on the Denmark water system is available online at www.denmarkwatersupply.com.

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