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1. How does the Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Authority protect customer privacy?

BJWSA signed an agreement with HomeServe USA in 2015 to offer optional protection plans for customers' home exterior water and sewer service lines.

Customer information was never provided to HomeServe nor are customer rates impacted by the agreement. The Authority only provided zip codes within the service area to HomeServe. This is in line with BJWSA's mission, which is to inspire trust and enhance public health.

In exchange for a set-up fee and a 12% commission on any service plans sold, the Authority gave HomeServe USA the right to use the BJWSA logo on mailed advertisements. The set-up fee and monthly commission payments are placed in a hardship fund to assist needy customers with extenuating circumstances who could be in danger of disconnection of their water and/or sewer services. The United Way of Beaufort County administers the fund. Learn more on our "Helping People in Need" page.

For questions about HomeServe or the Hardship Fund, please contact BJWSA at 843-987-9200.

2. How do I shut off my water in an emergency?

If there is a plumbing emergency, you should shut off your water at the main water valve to protect against water leaks and damage to your home.

The most likely locations for your main water valve are:

• Where the water supply pipe enters your home
• Beside the water meter, on the "customer side"

If you cannot find a shut off valve, you should have one installed as soon as possible, before you have a plumbing emergency. Call a plumber if you are unable to make the installation yourself. If you need your water turned off to install a shutoff valve, please call our Customer Service Department at 843-987-9200 to have that scheduled.

3. What is hydrant flushing and how often does it happen?

Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Authority (BJWSA) works closely with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) as well as with local fire departments to ensure both water quality and fire safety.

Every hydrant within the BJWSA service area is flushed annually. Hydrant flushing is necessary to test the hydrants to make sure adequate flow and pressure are available for fire emergencies. Flushing is also done to help maintain water quality in the distribution system. The quality issue could be either a taste, color, or odor complaint. We also monitor disinfection residual and at times have to flush to increase this.

It may seem as if there is a significant amount of water that is wasted, or that is going into local storm sewers or waterways. The impact of this water is substantially less than the average rain event.

Information regarding hydrant flushing can be obtained by calling 843-987-9200.

4. Why is it necessary to have a backflow prevention device on my meter?

Backflow prevention devices are installed with customer water meters to prevent any foreign chemicals or substances within the customer's property from back-siphoning into our regional water system.

"Cross-connection" means any actual or potential connection or structural arrangement between a public water supply and any other source or system through which it is possible to introduce into any part of the potable system any used water, industrial fluid, gas or substance other than the intended potable water with which the system is supplied. By-pass arrangements, jumper connections, removable sections, swivel or changeover devices and other temporary or permanent devices through which or because of which backflow can or may occur are considered cross-connections.

Backflow or back-siphonage can happen accidentally through a cross connection, where a pipe or hose that contains polluted water is connected to the water supply pipeline. If the water system loses pressure, harmful pollution can seep backward into the water system. Backflow from a yard irrigation system could accidentally contaminate our precious drinking water supply with pesticides, fertilizers and other potentially harmful chemicals.

To customers with irrigation systems:

An irrigation system with a chemical injection requires a special valve to keep the chemical from getting into the drinking water system. This valve is called a backflow preventer. BJWSA policy and SCDHEC regulations require a reduced pressure device on any irrigation chemical injection system. It does not matter what kind of chemical is being added: pesticides or insecticides, even if they are all-natural or organic. The reduced pressure device must be tested every year to ensure functionality.

These backflow devices protect all of us from cross connections, or contamination from chemical injection systems. The devices are required for fire suppression systems, commercial irrigation, and other hazards.

For more information, visit the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control's "Cross Connection Control and Backflow Prevention" page.

View our Cross Connection Policy (PDF).

5. What can I do to prevent sewer back-ups?

A little grease can cause big problems! Fats, oils and greases are not just bad for your arteries and your waistline; they are bad for sewers, too. When washed down the sink, grease sticks to the insides of sewer pipes on your property and the pipelines under the street. Over time, it can build up, harden into a plug and block an entire pipe, causing sewer overflows and backups.

Home garbage disposals do not keep grease out of the plumbing system. Products such as detergents that claim to dissolve grease may pass the grease down the pipeline and cause problems elsewhere.

Never Put Grease Down the Drain

Scrape grease and food scraps into a can or the trash for disposal (or recycling where available).

Whenever you have a greasy pan to wash, wipe it out after use (while it is still warm, not hot) with newspaper or paper towels. Put baskets/strainers in sink drains to catch food scraps and other solids, and then empty them in the trash. Encourage your friends and neighbors to keep grease out of drain.

Trash in the Toilet Can Cause Big Problems Too

While trash such as baby diapers, plastics and even cigarette filters and chewing gum may seem to disappear when flushed down the toilet, they can form a messy mass and clog your plumbing system and BJWSA pipelines. The result? Sewage back-ups that can be unhealthy for you and the environment.

The toilet is not a trashcan - never flush down anything but toilet paper.

6. What is the pink stuff on my bathroom fixtures?

That "pink stuff" that you may be seeing around your sink drains or in your toilets is naturally occurring airborne bacteria that has nothing to do with the quality of your water. Once airborne, these bacteria seek moist environments to grow.

Always keep bathtubs and sinks wiped down and dry. Frequently clean your sinks with a cleaning solution that contains chlorine. Three to five tablespoons of chlorine bleach can be periodically stirred into the toilet tank and flushed into the bowl itself. Cleaning and flushing with chlorine may not eliminate the problem, but will help control the bacteria growth. If you have a septic tank, use a non-chlorine cleaner, such as borax to avoid damaging your septic system.

Important! Be sure to follow the manufacturer's cleaning instructions for your plumbing fixtures and countertops; chlorine cannot be used with some designer products. Use care with abrasives to avoid scratching fixtures, which will make them even more susceptible to bacteria.

7. Is the water safe to use in my fish tanks?

Our water treatment process uses chloramines for disinfection. Chloramines, like chlorine, must be removed from water that goes into fish tanks. Pet stores can provide aquarium owners with a dechloraminating chemical or granular activated carbon filter to remove chloramines effectively from fish tanks.

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1. How does Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Authority determine our service rates?

Determining rates is an annual step-by-step process conducted by BJWSA staff, working with an outside rate consultant and the Board of Directors' Finance Committee. BJWSA's budget and rates are reviewed, evaluated, and approved initially by the Finance Committee and finally by the full Board of Directors. The goals of the rate-making process are to ensure that rates are fair and equitable and generate enough funds to reliably operate and maintain the water and wastewater systems. In addition, rates are designed to promote water conservation. Learn more about Determining Rates (PDF).

2. What affects Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Authority rates?

BJWSA is investing carefully today in technology, training and equipment, so that the superior quality of drinking water and wastewater treatment systems will hold down future costs. However, certain characteristics of the BJWSA system and our low country community impact our water and sewer rates: BJWSA is a non-profit, non-taxing, public utility that depends solely on the money received from customer payments, capacity fees, connection fees and wholesale services for providing water and wastewater services.

We have been a rapidly growing community, rather than a stable population. To meet this growth, BJWSA has built major facilities in the last twelve years, requiring new debt to be repaid. Community growth also has meant road widening and bridge building, which has resulted in the costly moving of pipelines by BJWSA.