Southern Shops, SC tap water
Supplied mostly by Metro Subdistrict B (SC4220003), plus 1 other utility. Here's what the water means for your fish.
Disinfectant
Chlorine
Your water is treated with chlorine. It slowly gases off from standing water, and any water conditioner removes it.
Safety for fish and shrimp
Nitrite (NO₂)
Not detected (Low)
Not detected in testing, so any nitrite in your tank comes from the tank itself.
From EPA monitoring data (2012).
Nitrate (NO₃)
Supplier's figure0.2 ppm (Low)
Low, so water changes lower your tank's nitrate well.
From the utility that supplies yours: Spartanburg Water System, which supplies Metro Subdistrict B (SC4220003); Spartanburg Water System's 2025 water quality report.
Copper at home taps (first draw)
0.01–0.69 ppm (Worth knowing)
The 90th percentile of first-draw samples from homes: water that sat in household pipes for at least six hours.
Shrimp and snails are sensitive to copper. Water that sits in household pipes picks up the most; it drops once the tap has run for a minute.
Published by your utility: Spartanburg Water System's 2025 water quality report.
Chlorine or chloramine at the tap
0.4–1.7 ppm
Typical 1.1 ppm
At tap levels, chlorine and chloramine are toxic to fish, shrimp and the bacteria in a filter. Water conditioners are made for this range.
Published by your utility: Spartanburg Water System's 2025 water quality report.
Water chemistry
General hardness
Supplier's figure15 ppm
Soft. Good for tetras, rasboras and most shrimp. Livebearers, snails and African cichlids prefer harder water.
From the utility that supplies yours: Spartanburg Water System, which supplies Metro Subdistrict B (SC4220003); Spartanburg Water System's website.
Carbonate hardness (alkalinity)
Supplier's figure15–17 ppm
Typical 16 ppm
Little buffering. pH can drop quickly between water changes, especially with CO₂ or an older tank.
From the utility that supplies yours: Spartanburg Water System, which supplies Metro Subdistrict B (SC4220003), measured before treatment; EPA monitoring data, measured before treatment (2012–2019).
pH
Supplier's figure6.9–7.3
Typical 7.1
Most community fish do well here. Stable water matters more than the exact number.
From the utility that supplies yours: Spartanburg Water System, which supplies Metro Subdistrict B (SC4220003); Spartanburg Water System's 2025 water quality report.
Total dissolved solids
Supplier's figure32–88 ppm
Typical 62 ppm
A rough measure of everything dissolved in the water. RO water reads near 0, so TDS is a quick way to compare waters.
From the utility that supplies yours: Spartanburg Water System, which supplies Metro Subdistrict B (SC4220003); Spartanburg Water System's 2025 water quality report.
- Metro Subdistrict B (SC4220003) and Spartanburg Water System add phosphate to protect pipes. It can feed algae in tanks without much plant growth.
Who supplies Southern Shops, SC
Metro Subdistrict B (SC4220003)
Serves 72% of residents · Buys water from Spartanburg Water System (SC4210001) · Chlorine
- 2025 water quality report
Spartanburg Water System
Serves 20% of residents · Lake or river water · Chlorine
Our data comes from public records and is still incomplete. Many utilities don't publish every number, so we're adding more all the time. Your city's range is a starting point: testing your own tap is the only way to know exactly what's in it.
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Compiled by Shoal & Stem from public records. Free to cite with a link.