Home hazard report for 29218 — Columbia, SC
ZIP 29218 is served by Columbia City of (Sc4010001): 2 violations since 2016, latest lead result 5 ppb, PFAS 8.6 ppt. Richland is in EPA radon zone 3.
Health-based violations since 2016: Revised Total Coliform Rule, Chlorite. All are listed as resolved.
90th-percentile lead in the latest round (Jan 2021). Lead comes mostly from household plumbing and service lines, so individual homes can be higher.
Highest PFOA or PFOS result in EPA’s 2023–2025 testing was at or above 4.0 ppt, EPA’s 2024 maximum contaminant level for each. 7 PFAS compounds detected.
Predicted average under 2 pCi/L — but any home can have high radon, so EPA still recommends a test.
The nearest active Superfund site is 5.7 miles away.
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Where ZIP 29218 is
blue: utility service area · scroll or pinch to zoomDrinking water: Columbia City of (Sc4010001)
Health-based violations
| Contaminant or rule | Health-based violations since 2016 |
|---|---|
| Revised Total Coliform Rule | 1 |
| Chlorite | 1 |
A health-based violation means a contaminant exceeded its legal limit (MCL) or a required treatment technique was not met, as reported by the state to EPA’s SDWIS. All are listed as resolved or archived; the latest began Dec 2024.
Lead
90th-percentile lead per sampling round (90% of the homes sampled were at or below this level). Black line: EPA’s 15 ppb action level; under the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements the action level becomes 10 ppb from 2027.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
| Compound | Highest result | Samples with detection | EPA limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| HFPO-DA (GenX) | 9.2 ppt | 5 of 8 | — |
| PFOS | 8.6 ppt | 6 of 8 | 4 ppt MCL |
| PFOA | 6.9 ppt | 6 of 8 | 4 ppt MCL |
| PFPeA | 6.8 ppt | 8 of 8 | — |
| PFHxA | 5.7 ppt | 8 of 8 | — |
| PFBS | 5.2 ppt | 4 of 8 | — |
| PFHpA | 3 ppt | 1 of 8 | — |
| PFDA | not detected | 0 of 8 | — |
| PFNA | not detected | 0 of 8 | — |
| PFHxS | not detected | 0 of 8 | — |
| PFBA | not detected | 0 of 8 | — |
EPA Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 5), samples 2023–2025; ppt = parts per trillion (ng/L). The 4.0 ppt maximum contaminant levels for PFOA and PFOS were set by EPA in 2024; water systems have until the end of the decade to comply.
Radon in Richland
EPA radon zone 3 — low potential. Predicted average under 2 pCi/L — but any home can have high radon, so EPA still recommends a test.
Radon is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas from soil and rock, and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. EPA recommends fixing a home at 4 pCi/L or above and considering it from 2 pCi/L. A short-term test kit costs about $15–30. How radon zones work →
Superfund sites nearby
| Site | Status | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Palmetto Wood Preserving Dixiana, South Carolina · EPA ID SCD003362217 | Active (final NPL) | 5.7 mi |
| Lexington County Landfill Area Cayce, South Carolina · EPA ID SCD980558043 | Active (final NPL) | 6.0 mi |
| SCRDI Dixiana Cayce, South Carolina · EPA ID SCD980711394 | Active (final NPL) | 6.9 mi |
| Palmetto Recycling, Inc. Columbia, South Carolina · EPA ID SCD037398120 | Cleaned up & deleted | 8.5 mi |
EPA Superfund National Priorities List (NPL): the country’s most serious known hazardous-waste sites, each with an EPA cleanup record (linked). Distance is measured from the ZIP center to the site’s reference point; being near a site does not by itself mean exposure — EPA site pages describe what was found and how it is being cleaned up.
What this is — and isn’t. These are records your water utility and state reported to the EPA, and the EPA’s radon map for your county. They describe the system and the area, not the water from your own tap or the air in your home. For that, read your utility’s annual Consumer Confidence Report and test: lead and radon tests are inexpensive.
Questions about 29218
Who supplies drinking water to ZIP 29218?
Columbia City of (Sc4010001) (EPA ID SC4010001), a surface water (rivers, lakes) system serving about 354,068 people.
Is there lead in Columbia, SC tap water?
The utility’s latest 90th-percentile lead result (Jan 2021) was 5 ppb; EPA’s action level is 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb from 2027. Lead mostly comes from service lines and home plumbing, so the only way to know your tap is to test it.
Does Columbia, SC water have PFAS?
Highest PFOA or PFOS result in EPA’s 2023–2025 testing was at or above 4.0 ppt, EPA’s 2024 maximum contaminant level for each. 7 PFAS compounds detected.
Has the water system in 29218 had violations?
Health-based violations since 2016: Revised Total Coliform Rule, Chlorite. All are listed as resolved.
Are there Superfund sites near 29218?
The nearest active Superfund site is 5.7 miles away. Sites within 10 miles: Palmetto Wood Preserving (5.7 mi, Active (final NPL)); Lexington County Landfill Area (6.0 mi, Active (final NPL)); SCRDI Dixiana (6.9 mi, Active (final NPL)).
Is radon a problem in Richland?
Richland is in EPA radon zone 3 (low potential). Predicted average under 2 pCi/L — but any home can have high radon, so EPA still recommends a test.