South Carolina: State guide

South Carolina’s official sources show different responsibility rules depending on who provides sewer service. For PSC-regulated wastewater utilities, the utility maintains from the main to the boundary line or public road/street, but the customer maintains from that point into the premises; several municipal pages I found instead place the whole lateral up to the main on the owner.

Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.

Official resources in South Carolina

PSC Sewerage Utilities Regulations (Article 5 PDF)

Official PSC regulations for regulated sewer utilities, including utility-versus-customer service-pipe responsibilities and inspection language.

City of Simpsonville - Sanitary Sewer / Storm Water

Simpsonville page stating the city owns only the sewer main and owners maintain laterals to the main.

Town of Branchville - Utilities

Branchville utility page stating customers maintain the lateral sewer line from the structure to the main collector line.

Key facts for South Carolina

SCDES says a proposed line that meets the definition of a service connection or service line does not require an SCDES permit; main lines do.
PSC rules for regulated wastewater utilities say the utility installs and maintains the service pipe from the main to the boundary line of the property served or the public road or street.
PSC rules say the customer installs and maintains the service pipe from the end of the utility’s service pipe into the premises served.
PSC rules say if a governmental agency requires inspection of the customer’s plumbing, the utility may not connect service until it receives notice that the plumbing conforms.
Greenville says property owners own their individual lateral up to and including the connection to the wastewater main and are responsible for all maintenance needs.
Simpsonville says the city owns only the sewer main and the property owner maintains the sewer lateral up to and including the connection to the sewer main.

City sewer lateral rules and programs in South Carolina

City	city	phone	Details
City of Simpsonville Public Works Greenville	Simpsonville	864-967-9531	Handles sewer-backup calls during normal business hours; page states owners are responsible for lateral service lines.
Simpsonville Police Department dispatch contact Greenville	Simpsonville	864-967-9536	After-hours contact listed on Simpsonville’s sanitary sewer page for emergency dispatch to city personnel.
Town of Branchville Town Hall Orangeburg	Branchville	(803) 274-8820 or (803) 274-8000	Town utility page says customers maintain the wastewater lateral from the structure to the main collector line.
Office of Regulatory Staff Consumer Services Department Richland	Columbia	Not published*	Published in the Wastewater Bill of Rights for complaint help with regulated wastewater utilities.
Office of Regulatory Staff Consumer Services Department Richland	Columbia	Not published*	Columbia-area ORS Consumer Services number printed in the Wastewater Bill of Rights.
Public Service Commission of South Carolina Richland	Columbia	803-896-5100	PSC complaint/contact number listed on the official consumer information page.

* Not published: the official page doesn't list it. Call the office to confirm before you rely on it.

What to do next

First identify whether your provider is a municipality or a PSC-regulated private utility; the responsibility line can differ.
If your project is a single-building service line, verify whether it is a state-exempt service connection with SCDES before assuming a state construction permit is needed.
Before repairs are covered up, ask the local building or plumbing authority whether an inspection or certification is required for connection.

Not seeing your city or county?

We list a city only when an official government page publishes its rules. If yours isn't in the table above, it may not publish them online yet. Here's what to use instead, in order:

General Start with the statewide information above. It applies across South Carolina, but cities and counties can add their own steps, fees or deadlines.
Closest verified Nearest places where we have verified local data outside this state (distance from South Carolina's population center, for comparison only):
- City of Statesboro Water Department, Georgia · about 119 miles
- City of Durham Water and Sewer Engineering Services, North Carolina · about 180 miles
- City of Durham Water and Sewer Maintenance, North Carolina · about 180 miles
Call to confirm Ask the official office. They have the current local rule, fee and form.
City of Simpsonville - Sanitary Sewer / Storm Water
Website →
Phone: (864) 967-9531 (as listed on that page, checked Oct 4, 2026)
Your city or county office: Local governments →
Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the South Carolina page on USA.gov can point you to the right office.
Know the current info? Tell us and include a link to the official page. We check every tip before it goes up.

Helpful guides

Sewer lateral responsibility check →

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