Managing Wastewater & Storm Water
In the city of Charleston, storm water is managed by the City's Department of Public Service. We act as a billing agent for collection of the City’s storm water fee, so the fee appears on our water bills, but the fee is not determined by Charleston Water System and all revenue goes to the City, minus a nominal processing fee that we retain.
In fact, we regularly smoke test our wastewater collection/sewer system to keep groundwater and storm water out. Water that enters the system through cracked pipes, damaged manholes, improper storm drainage connections, etc. is called infiltration and inflow, or I&I. I&I increases treatment costs and consumes hydraulic capacity in sewer mains, pump stations, and can cause sewer overflows during periods of heavy rain.
If you have a storm water/drainage issue, contact your town, city, or county.