A majority of the remaining ones are performed by the System's laboratories each certified by DHEC to meet State and Federal requirements. Water quality is assured by analyzing samples collected during the treatment process and as the water travels throughout the 2,000 miles of pipelines to customers. This Water Quality Report of the numerous samples collected and examined consistently indicates that the Water System's watershed protection practices and treatment procedures are highly effective and that the water supplied is not only safe to drink but has the chemical characteristics required for industrial uses. These meetings are open to the public. Table Rock and North Saluda have the capacity to deliver up to 30 and 63 MGD respectivly.
Chlorine is added to the water for disinfection to protect against waterborne diseases.
Small amounts of caustic soda are added for pH adjustment and a polyphosphate is added for corrosion control. Fluoridation is provided by the addition of hydrofluosilicic acid to help prevent tooth decay. In addition to these treatment methods, water from Lake Keowee passes through the Adkins Filter Plant, a modern conventional filtration facility where alum is used for coagulation. A new state of the art filter plant is currently under construction to provide filtration for water from Table Rock and North Saluda. When completed in late 1999, it will be the largest plant in the United States to use Dissolved Air Flotation as part of the treatment process.