The water is pumped from sixteen wells that are approximately 700' deep and average 1,200 gallons per minute. The water is then pumped into the plant where it is treated for drinking by adding lime for pH control, phosphates for corrosion control, fluoride as a dental aid and chlorine for disinfecting. One of the main purposes for treating the water is to remove any excess iron. This is done by filtering the water through anthracite and sand filters after the iron has been made insoluble by the addition of lime. The treated water goes to underground storage tanks until it is needed by homes, businesses or industries.
Water quality is checked every fours hours for quality by operators.
These operators must be licensed by the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation - The Environmental Certification Board. The Wastewater Department treats the wastewater created by homes, businesses and industries in the Sumter community. This is accomplished by means of two facilities. The Twin Lakes Package Plant which serves the Twin Lakes Subdivision and the Pocotaligo River Facility. The Twin Lakes facility is designed to treat 0.035 million gallons per day and the Pocotaligo facility is designed to treat 12 million gallons per day.