Charleston Water System
Charleston Water System is a public water and wastewater utility serving approximately 450,000 people across the Greater Charleston area with potable water, sewer collection, and treatment, funded by usage-based rates, tap/impact fees, and AAA-rated revenue bonds.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1917
- HeadquartersCharleston, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Charleston Water System does
Charleston Water System is a public water and wastewater utility, formally the Commissioners of Public Works of the City of Charleston, SC, operating continuously since 1917 and governed by an elected Board of Commissioners. It provides potable water to approximately 450,000 people (120,000 retail accounts) and wastewater collection and treatment to 180,000 people (65,000 retail accounts) across Charleston, North Charleston, Hanahan, James Island, Daniel Island, West Ashley, and adjacent communities. Core infrastructure includes 1,800 miles of water mains, 800 miles of sewer mains (comprising 540 miles of gravity sewer, 115 miles of force main, 138 miles of service laterals, and 12 miles of deep tunnels), 209+ pump stations, 9,800 fire hydrants, the 115.4 MGD Hanahan Water Treatment Plant, and the 36 MGD Plum Island Wastewater Treatment Plant, all monitored via SCADA systems and supported by Neptune Automated Meter Reading technology.
The utility's operations are funded entirely by rates and fees for service, interest-bearing investments, and revenue bond proceeds — it does not receive tax revenue and has earned AAA (S&P, 2010) and Aaa (Moody's, 2015) bond ratings. Revenue streams consist of recurring monthly water and sewer charges based on consumption, one-time impact fees and tap fees for new connections (restricted to growth-related capital improvements), and transactional service/administrative fees. Distribution is direct via owned infrastructure supplemented by wholesale water supply agreements with eight regional municipal utilities and Joint Base Charleston, and a New Development department manages engineering, permitting, and project closeout for new construction.
Charleston Water System was the first combined water and wastewater utility in the U.S. to earn ISO 14001 environmental management certification (1999), is a member of the EPA/AWWA Partnership for Safe Water, and holds the highest possible ratings on joint SC DES and EPA wastewater compliance inspections. Currently executing a $250 million wastewater master plan to address growth, sea level rise, and extreme weather, the utility invested hundreds of millions in West Ashley sewer upgrades since 1995 and serves approximately 470 staff across administrative, customer service, treatment, distribution, and capital project functions.
Charleston Water System firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Charleston Water System
- Legal name
- Commissioners of Public Works of the City of Charleston, SC
- Website
- https://charlestonwater.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1917
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Charleston Water System is a public water and wastewater utility serving approximately 450,000 people across the Greater Charleston area with potable water, sewer collection, and treatment, funded by usage-based rates, tap/impact fees, and AAA-rated revenue bonds.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Charleston Water System industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Water and Wastewater Utilities
- NAICS
- Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131), Sewage Treatment Facilities (22132), Utilities (22)
- SIC
- Water Supply (4941), Sanitary Services (4950)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Treatment & Wet-Weather Capacity (EUANADAF), Domestic Hot & Cold Water System Hygiene (Potable Water) (BPABAJAD), Water Resources Administration (Watersheds, Rivers, Groundwater) (BPAIAMAE)
Keywords
Where Charleston Water System is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Charleston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices7 records
Markets served
Charleston Water System business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Water Service Revenue: Charges for potable water delivery to retail and wholesale customers through 1,800 miles of water mains
- Sewer Service Revenue: Charges for wastewater collection and treatment services through 800 miles of collection mains
- Impact Fees: Fees charged for new connections to water and sewer systems, used exclusively for capital improvements related to growth
- Tap Fees: One-time fees for new service connections
- Service and Administrative Fees: Various fees including application fees, inspection fees, re-inspection fees, and document fees
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Monthly | Water service rates based on consumption |
| Usage-based | Monthly | Sewer service rates based on water consumption |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | Tap and Impact Fees for new connections |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Service Fees |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels10 records
Charleston Water System product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Charleston Water System is a public water and wastewater utility providing potable water treatment and distribution to approximately 450,000 people through 1,800 miles of water mains from the Hanahan Water Treatment Plant (115.4 MGD capacity). It also provides wastewater collection and treatment through 800 miles of sewer mains and the Plum Island Wastewater Treatment Plant (36 MGD capacity), serving 180,000 people. Operations are funded by monthly rates and fees; the utility does not receive tax revenue.
Product overview
Charleston Water System operates as a public water and wastewater utility providing core water treatment and distribution services alongside sewer collection and treatment. The utility's main offerings include potable water service (Hanahan Water Treatment Plant, 115.4 MGD capacity) and wastewater service (Plum Island Wastewater Treatment Plant, 36 MGD capacity), supplemented by new development engineering services, backflow prevention programs, and customer-facing programs such as Citizens Academy and community event water provision. The company also offers optional service protection through HomeServe partnership.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Water Service
Quantifiable outcome
- Eliminated 5 million gallons per day of infiltration and inflow through I/I reduction program
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Charleston Water System
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Charleston Water System technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Charleston Water System partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- SC 811coreCharleston Water System is a Preferred Partner with SC 811, the state's one-call notification system for safe digging practices. This partnership promotes public safety by encouraging contractors and homeowners to call before digging to prevent damage to underground utilities.
- Water MissionminorWater Mission is a Christian engineering nonprofit that provides safe water solutions. Through the Operation Round-Up program, customers can donate round-up amounts to Water Mission, which has provided access to safe water for more than 8 million people in 60 countries.
- Palmetto Community Action PartnershipminorThe Good Neighbor Program administered by Palmetto Community Action Partnership helps local families experiencing financial hardship pay their water bills. Ninety percent of donated funds are used to help customers in need.
- Charleston Regional Resource Recovery AuthoritycoreCRRRA is a joint venture between Charleston Water System, Mount Pleasant Waterworks, and North Charleston Sewer District for regional resource recovery. Board meetings are held with representatives from all three utilities.
Scale indicators16 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Charleston Water System competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- American Water Works Company: American Water is the largest publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility, operating across 14 states. It serves as a broad incumbent reference point for utility-scale water operations, even though it operates as an investor-owned company rather than a public entity.
- Aqua America (Essential Utilities): Essential Utilities operates regulated water, wastewater, and natural gas utilities across multiple states, providing an investor-owned benchmark for asset valuation and operational scale relevant to CWS's rate-base analysis.
- Veolia North America: Veolia operates and contracts for municipal water and wastewater systems across the U.S., including O&M partnerships; comparable to CWS in technical capability though structured as a private operator rather than an asset-owning utility.
Regional players
- San Diego County Water Authority: SDCWA is a regional wholesale water supplier serving Southern California. While it does not own retail wastewater operations, its wholesale-only model mirrors CWS's bulk-water business to neighboring utilities like Mt. Pleasant Waterworks.
Direct peers
- DC Water: DC Water is a combined water and wastewater utility serving the District of Columbia and surrounding jurisdictions with similar mixed retail/wholesale model and deep-tunnel infrastructure (e.g., Clean Rivers project), making it a closely comparable mid-large municipal combined utility.
- Philadelphia Water Department: Philadelphia Water Department is one of the largest combined water and wastewater utilities in the U.S., operating an aging infrastructure network comparable to CWS's 1,800-mile water/800-mile sewer footprint.
- JEA (Jacksonville Electric Authority / JEA Water): JEA provides water, wastewater, and electric services to Jacksonville, FL — a coastal Southeast utility of similar scale with comparable climate, regulatory, and growth dynamics to Charleston Water System.
- Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago: MWRD is a large combined water/wastewater agency in the Midwest operating deep-tunnel (TARP) infrastructure analogous to CWS's 12-mile deep tunnel system, with similar wet-weather capacity and stormwater management mandates.
- Louisville Water Company: Louisville Water Company is a municipally owned combined water and wastewater utility serving the Louisville metro with a similar century-old heritage (founded 1860) and similar scale of retail/wholesale operations.
Others
- Charleston Regional Resource Recovery Authority: CRRRA is a joint venture between CWS, Mount Pleasant Waterworks, and North Charleston Sewer District for regional biosolids/resource recovery. It is included as an ecosystem partner rather than a competitor, illustrating CWS's regional integration strategy.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Charleston Water System social profiles
Digital presenceCharleston Water System compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Charleston Water System financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Charleston Water System leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Charleston Water System funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Charleston Water System M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Charleston Water System
What does Charleston Water System do?
Charleston Water System is a public water and wastewater utility providing potable water treatment and distribution to approximately 450,000 people through 1,800 miles of water mains from the Hanahan Water Treatment Plant (115.4 MGD capacity). It also provides wastewater collection and treatment through 800 miles of sewer mains and the Plum Island Wastewater Treatment Plant (36 MGD capacity), serving 180,000 people. Operations are funded by monthly rates and fees; the utility does not receive tax revenue.
Is Charleston Water System a public or private company?
Charleston Water System is a public company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Charleston Water System founded?
Charleston Water System was founded in 1917. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Charleston Water System based?
Charleston Water System is headquartered in Charleston, United States, in the North America region.
How does Charleston Water System make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Water Service Revenue is the primary driver. The others are sewer Service Revenue, impact Fees, tap Fees and service and Administrative Fees.
Who are Charleston Water System's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are American Water Works Company, Aqua America (Essential Utilities) and Veolia North America. San Diego County Water Authority is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are DC Water, Philadelphia Water Department, JEA (Jacksonville Electric Authority / JEA Water), Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and Louisville Water Company. Charleston Regional Resource Recovery Authority is listed as an others.
Does Charleston Water System have an API?
No public API is recorded for Charleston Water System.
What industry is Charleston Water System in?
Charleston Water System's product category is Water and Wastewater Utilities. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIACAG, Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration, with a secondary code of EUANADAF, Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Treatment & Wet-Weather Capacity. Its NAICS code is 2213 and its SIC code is 4941.