West Columbia Issues Boil Water Advisory for Chimney Swift Lane

WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. — Oct. 24, 2026, 10:12 a.m. City crews traced a Saturday morning water main break to Chimney Swift Lane and put a boil water advisory on the street, telling every customer there to boil tap water for a full minute before drinking it or cooking with it.

The advisory covers the whole street rather than a block or a range of house numbers. Customers who lost pressure, or who turn on the tap and get cloudy water or grit, are the ones the notice is aimed at.

“Customers experiencing sediment in the water are advised to flush the water until no sediment appears and then continue to boil their water for at least one full minute,” the city said in its release. Ice made from water that has not been boiled should not go into drinks.

A main break does not have to test positive for anything to trigger a notice. When pressure drops, the line can draw groundwater and soil in through joints and cracks, and whatever arrives with it — coliform bacteria, E. coli, or tougher organisms such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium — is what the one-minute boil is meant to kill. The boil is the cheap insurance. The lab work is the proof.

The city has not said when the advisory will end. Utilities in South Carolina generally wait for two rounds of bacteriological samples, taken on consecutive days, before a notice comes down, so households on the street should plan for at least 24 to 48 hours.

Updates are posted at westcolumbiasc.gov https://www.westcolumbiasc.gov. City Hall customer service answers at 803-791-1880 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays, and the same number reaches the after-hours answering service on nights and weekends.

Anyone who is pregnant, mixing formula for an infant, or caring for someone with a weakened immune system should skip the tap altogether and use bottled water until the notice is lifted. Boiling works, but bottled water removes the guesswork, and it is the option state health departments name first for those households.

Sources

• City of West Columbia, Boil Water Advisory- 10/24/26- Issued: westcolumbiasc.gov https://westcolumbiasc.gov/boil-water-advisory-10-24-26-issued
• CDC, Drinking Water Advisories: An Overview: cdc.gov https://www.cdc.gov/water-emergency/about/drinking-water-advisories-an-overview.html