BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. – A major water line break that disrupted service across Berkeley County and surrounding areas has now been repaired, but officials say residents will need to wait for testing before boil water advisories can be lifted.
Santee Cooper announced early Wednesday morning that crews completed repairs to the damaged main line connected to the Lake Moultrie Regional Water System. The line serves customers in Goose Creek, Summerville and portions of Berkeley County.
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The break happened Monday near Moncks Corner when a contractor operating heavy equipment accidentally struck and punctured the large transmission pipe. Officials said the contractor was not working for Santee Cooper.
The damage caused a significant disruption to a major line that supplies water to agencies serving roughly 200,000 people across the region.
Crews worked through the night to complete repairs, a process that involved draining the pipe, removing the damaged section and installing a replacement.
While the physical repair is now complete, required water quality testing is underway to ensure the system is safe.
Officials say results are expected within 48 hours of the repair—likely by early Friday morning. If the water meets state safety standards, boil water advisories issued across the impacted areas could be lifted at that time.
“This was a significant break and a significant repair,” said Mike Finissi, Santee Cooper’s Deputy CEO and Chief Operating Officer. “We took measures throughout to minimize the potential for contaminants in the water, and now we are conducting the state-required testing to confirm the water is safe for consumption.”
Until then, residents are being urged to continue following boil water advisories and conserve water where possible.
Santee Cooper says it will share test results with local water providers as soon as they are available, allowing each agency to determine when it is safe to lift advisories.
For now, thousands of Lowcountry residents remain under precautionary measures as the final step in restoring normal service moves forward.
