Loading... UNDERSTAND MY BILL HOME CUSTOMER SERVICE ELECTRIC WATER SEWER FINANCE ABOUT EMPLOYMENT CONTACT US Water • Cross Connection Policy • Drought Response • FAQ Water ECU owns and operates an 18 MGD state-of-the-art water treatment facility that furnishes all of the drinking water its 13,300 retail water customers. Raw water is provided by the Saluda Lake, a 330 acre impound of the Saluda River located on Greenville, Pickens County line. ECU has an emergency connection with the Greenville Water System for emergency water supply. ECU also provides wholesale drinking water to four water districts located in Pickens and Anderson Counties. ECU has a combination of ground level storage and elevated water storage totaling 15.5 million gallons. ECU serves its 13,300 customers with 234 miles of water line. Cross Connection Policy/Backflow Prevention Backflow is the reversal of the flow of water or a mixture of water and other undesirable substances from any source into the distribution pipes of the potable water system. It can be dangerous because it can allow drinking water to become contaminated. To prevent this from happening, SCDHEC regulations require, as a minimum, dual check valve backflow assemblies to be installed on residential lawn sprinkler systems. When SCDHEC originally promulgated lawn sprinkler backflow prevention regulations in 2005 the minimum required protection was a double check valve assembly. Easley Combined Utilities approved its Cross Connection Control Policy in February 2005 to comply with the SCDHEC regulation in effect at the time. In a later regulatory update, SCDHEC relaxed the back flow requirement to allow a dual check valve assembly to be installed as a minimum. The revised regulation allowed the local utility to require the more stringent double check valve assembly, if such requirement was enacted by the local governing body. When SCDHEC subsequently relaxed the cross connection requirement, ECU chose not to change its Cross Connection Control Policy. Since dual check valves are not testable, SCDHEC mandated that a routine change out schedule be implemented by the local utility. A reasonable change-out frequency for dual check valves was determined to be once every three years. Change-outs would require the services of a plumber and a new check valve assembly. Double check valves are testable assemblies and ECU’s policy requires, and manufacturer’s recommend, that they be tested every year. The results of the tests are sent to ECU’s Cross Connection Officer. Double check valves are, by their nature, a higher level of protection against cross connection contamination. A 10 year cost analysis was performed on dual check valve versus double check valve installations, including change out and testing. Based on this 10 year lifecycle cost evaluation, it is actually less expensive for the customer to install and maintain a double check valve assembly. The goal of any cross connection control program is to increase protection level of the potable water system. To allow dual check valves will increase the cost to the customer and decrease the level of protection on the system. To view Easley Combined Utilities’ Cross Connection Policy, click here. Download a Backflow Prevention Test form here. Drought Response Read the complete Drought Response plan. Frequently Asked Questions Q. Where does my water come from? A. Easley Combined Utilities raw water source is Saluda Lake. Saluda Lake is a 336 acre impoundment on the Saluda River on the Pickens/Greenville County line. Q. How safe is my water? Q. How do I find out about the quality of the water I drink? Q. Can I have my water tested? Q. What should I do if I have a concern about my water? Q. How would I know if my water became unsafe to drink? Q. Should I have a home water filter system? Q. What kind of disinfection do you use in the water? Q. Does my water have fluoride in it? Q. What benefit does adding fluoride in water give me? Q. What area do you service with water? Q. If there is a water leak, who is responsible? 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The designation recognizes public power utilities that demonstrate high proficiency in four key disciplines: reliability, safety, workforce development, and system improvement. Visit our You Tube page for a full list of recipients. Search Here Sitemap Home Customer Service Electric Water Sewer Finance About Employment Contact us Contact 110 Peachtree Street P.O. Box 619 Easley, S.C. 29641 customerservice@easleyutilities.com 864-859-4013 Copyright ©2015 - 2021. All Rights Reserved. Peacock Marketing