Frequently Asked Questions

CPW provides electricity, natural gas, wastewater and water for the City of Greer and surrounding areas. Use this link to determine if Greer CPW may provide utilities to your home or business.

To have your residential services turned on, you must file an application online or in-person at the Customer Service Center located at 301 McCall Street in Greer. Visit our start/stop service page for more information.

If an application is completed, all necessary information obtained, and all fees paid by 1:00 pm then you may receive same-day service. However, during certain times of the year when demand is high, there may be a slight delay in starting service.

For a new residential account, a deposit is not required but there is an activation fee based on the number of metered services provided.  $30 for one metered service, $60 for two metered services and $100 for three metered services. (same as above)

For a commercial account, a deposit of the two highest bills x 1.5 is required. The activation fee is based on the number of metered services provided.  $50 for one metered service, $80 for two metered services and $150 for three metered services.

You may use our online form or you may call or come into our office. All requests must be received by 1:00 PM to get same day service. If not, it will be the following business day. It is essential that you contact us because you are the only one that can disconnect your service. Be ready to give a forwarding address.

We have several options to pay your bill:

• Pay your bill online (recommended). We accept American Express, Visa, MasterCard and Discover.
• AutoPay – AutoPay uses your bank or credit card information to electronically transfer money each month to pay your bill.  You can manage AutoPay through your Customer Service Portal.
• Pay using our kiosks.  We have a kiosk in the drive thru that is accessible 24/7 as well as a kiosk in the lobby that is available during normal business hours.
• Pay at Dollar General, CVS, Family Dollar, Speedway, Walgreens, Walmart, Kroger and 7 Eleven.  Use the barcode on the back of your bill and tell the cashier how much you’d like to put towards your utility bill.
• FlexPay – This payment method allows customers to pay their bill as they go. Please contact the Customer Service Department to learn more.
• Pay over the phone. We accept credit card payments (American Express, Discover, Mastercard, and Visa) through our automated payment system. Call (864) 848-5500 or (864) 848-5501 and select option 3.
• Mail your payment along with the payment coupon in the envelope provided with the bill. Be sure to apply proper postage. Mail with sufficient time to reach us before the penalty due date.
• Pay in person. Customer Service personnel will accept your payment (cash, check, or credit/debit) from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays, at our Customer Service Center located at 301 McCall Street near Downtown Greer.

A 5% penalty is added the following morning if your account is not paid by the due date and a $75.00 non-payment fee is added immediately to your account when you do not pay by the cutoff date. Greer CPW extends a 10 day grace period between the due date and cutoff date.  You can learn more about our fees on our website.

If you are having problems paying your bill, let us know so we can discuss your situation as the last thing we want to do is disconnect your service for non-payment.

However, if we are unaware of your situation and an arrangement has not been made, we will disconnect your service as a last resort. Disconnection occurs as soon as 10 days after the due date.

Below is a glossary of terms you will see on your bill from Greer CPW.

• Date of Bill – The date in which the current bill was processed and mailed to the customer.
• Past Due – Total dollar amount of the previous bill, which may include other charges.
• Current Amount – Total dollar amount of the current bill.
• Total Due – Total dollar amount of the previous bill and current bill; however, if you show a past due; your service can be disconnected if this amount remains unpaid.
• Due Date – The date that the current bill is due.
• Meter Reading – Meters are normally read monthly for utility consumption. Take the previous reading from the current and multiply by multiplier (Multi).
• Multiplier – Some customers are served through meters that require the registration to be multiplied by a factor to calculate your usage. The factor is called a multiplier and is required on all water meters.

The cost of your services varies with seasonal use. Typically, there is more consumption during the summer and winter months rather than fall and spring. Summer heat usually causes increased usage of air conditioners and winter cold usually causes increased usage in heating as well as additional cooking. Nights are also longer in the winter and that requires the use of lights about twice as long as in summer months.

Another reason is because the number of days varies between meter readings (which is indicated on your bill). Each monthly bill normally covers 30 days; however, holidays and weekends also come into play.

Extreme weather may also cause your bill to fluctuate as well as new, changed or malfunctioning appliances.

All of our meters are read electronically. We have 15 different reading dates. For questions about your bill, contact us.

When comparing your CPW utility bill with that of a neighbor, friend, or relative, keep in mind a couple of important factors. Since all of CPW’s utilities are usually included in the same bill, this type of bill will not compare directly with other systems’ billing. Customers of other utilities may receive separate power, gas, water and sewer bills depending on where they live. When comparing, be sure you are using the combination of all the utilities they have that are on your bill from CPW.

Another factor is insulation and efficiency. This can be influenced by the age of the home or major appliances. Personal comfort levels can vary greatly, and since most energy in a home or business is consumed for heating and cooling, the thermostat settings can be a major factor.

No. For information about trash pick up within Greer city limits, visit the City’s trash collection and yard waste page.

The basic facility charge covers items such as metering, billing, customer service and other vital components of our operations that must continue regardless of consumption.

If you plan to be away for an extended period of time, the electricity and gas will continue to be consumed unless you turn the main breaker off and shut off your gas appliances or you request to have your meters turned off by CPW.

In order to prevent your services from being unnecessarily disconnected during an extended absence, contact us through your Greer CPW account before you leave to make arrangements. We will be glad to figure out how much you will need to pre-pay or you can allow us to debit your bank account or charge your credit card for a certain period of time.

A CCF is a volumetric measure of natural gas. It represents the amount of gas contained in a space equal to one hundred cubic feet. A therm is a measurement of energy, or heat, equal to 100,000 BTU (British Thermal Units).

When any type of proposed excavation is to occur all of the underground utilities in the excavation area must be marked. Electric lines will be marked in red, gas lines in yellow, communication and CATV in orange, water lines in blue and your sewer lines in green. Remember that a locator is not going to mark the private lines you have installed yourself. These include septic tank lines and underground electric to garages or pools.

Greer CPW is responsible for maintenance and repair of our service up to the meter. The landlord/owner is responsible for the cost of repairs from the meter to the home.

You are responsible for the seals on your meters. NEVER tamper with a meter or break a seal because not only is it dangerous, it is illegal. Not only are you required to pay for the consumption and tampering fee, but we will also prosecute under the South Carolina laws.

Greer CPW technicians are available 24/7.  While typical office hours are 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, you can report any emergency to us by calling our after hours answering service at 864-848-5500.  Some examples of emergencies include a gas odor, gas leak, power line in the roadway or a damaged power pole.  You can also report electrical outages using your customer service portal.

Your water is treated through a conventional process of coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, filtration and disinfection. Our water sources are Lake Robinson and Lake Cunningham, both of which are fed by the South Tyger River. Greer CPW coagulates the raw water by using chemicals with a positive charge. When the chemicals reach organic material like dirt and other particles, it causes the material to “ball up” or flocculate. The heavy material settles to the bottom of the tanks and this process is called sedimentation. Clear water on top will pass through filters to remove dust, parasites, bacteria and chemicals. After the filtration process, chloramine (a combination of chlorine and ammonia) is added to disinfect the water, making sure it’s safe to drink.

At CPW, we use a substance called chloramine to disinfect your water. It is added to ensure that all harmful organisms are killed before we place water into our distribution system. Chloramines are a combination of free chlorine and ammonia. CPW monitors the levels to make sure just the right amount is in the water. We use chloramine because it lasts longer in a large distribution system, especially during the hot months when the temperature can negate chlorine’s disinfection qualities.

“Boil Water Advisory” means an advisory, issued by the public water system, notifying the users of the water system that the water may be contaminated and to boil the water. “Boil Water Notice” means a notice, issued by the public water system, notifying the users of the water system that the water is contaminated and to boil the water.

Boil water advisories are issued when a water source is shut off, or when a water source pressure level drops below 20 psi. With this loss of pressure, there is a great possibility for water to become contaminated with harmful bacteria.

The results of water sample tests. When water service is restored, a Lab Analyst comes to the site to take water samples from several points in the affected service area. The samples must remain in an incubator for no less than 24 hours.  Depending on the results, the boil water advisory may need to be extended or it will be lifted.

Vigorously (rolling bubbles) for at least one (1) minute.

The latest information from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) states that one minute is more than adequate for killing disease-causing organisms.

Boiling the water kills harmful bacteria if the water is contaminated.

Yes. Water filters are not designed to remove harmful bacteria.

If you consume water that is proven to be contaminated and you are in good health, you should not become ill. However, young children, some of the elderly and people with severely compromised immune systems may become ill.

Symptoms may include diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches or other symptoms. If you feel that your health has been compromised, you should seek medical attention.

Yes.  You can continue to use tap water for bathing, showering, washing dishes and clothes during a boil water advisory.  A boil water advisory only applies to water that is being consumed like eating or drinking.

Pets should also drink boiled water until the boil water advisory or notice is lifted.  As a reminder, please make sure the water is cool before allowing pets to drink.

Yellow, rusty, or brownish colored water is usually due to flow changes in the system that stir up iron and manganese-containing sediments.

Discolored water can also be the result of in-house plumbing problems, such as the attachment of dissimilar metals like copper and galvanized pipes or cracked glass liners in hot water tanks. In general, these in-house discolored water problems will be characterized by a spurt of discolored water when the water is first turned on or will be limited to the hot water.

Rusty water can also occur in the system if there is a change or increase in water flow caused by water main breaks, valve operation, or fire hydrant activation. These activities dislodge small particles of rust and stir up sediments in pipes. It is a temporary condition and should clear up in a couple of hours following the water main break repair or flushing.

There are two common causes of a musty, moldy or earthy taste or odor in the water: bacteria growing in your drain or certain types of organisms growing in Greer CPW’s water supply.

By far, the most common cause of this type of problem is the drain. Over time organic matter (such as hair, soap, and food waste) can accumulate on the walls of the drain. Bacteria can grow on these organic deposits. As the bacteria grow and multiply, they produce gases that can smell musty or moldy. These gases accumulate in the drain until the water is turned on. As the water runs down the drain, the gases are expelled into the air around the sink. It is natural to assume the bad odor is coming from the water because the smell is noticeable only when the water is on. However there is nothing wrong with the water, but the drain may need to be disinfected.

The other cause of this type of taste or odor in the water is much less common and results from certain types of algae, fungi, and bacteria growing in the water supply reservoirs. As these organisms grow and multiply, they excrete small amounts of harmless compounds into the water that cause a musty, moldy or earthy taste and odor. The two most common compounds are geosmin and methylisoborneal (MIB). Although these compounds are harmless, the human senses of taste and smell are extremely sensitive to them.  Greer CPW manages and monitors the water in its reservoirs carefully to prevent these organisms from growing to levels that affect the taste and odor of the water, but sometimes Mother Nature wins.

Generally, MIB and geosmin levels are highest in the fall when there is a change in temperatures.

Pink or black residue may occur on surfaces that stay moist and are not cleaned regularly.  Some examples are: showers, toilet bowls or tanks, pet bowls, bath tub toys, coffee reservoirs or humidifiers. The pink and black residue is generally the result of biological growth-molds, fungus, bacteria or algae that has originated from the air or the surfaces themselves. These microbes grow well in moist areas and the water that remains in these areas has typically lost its chlorine (disinfectant).  The simple remedy is to keep these areas dry and to clean them regularly with a disinfectant solution.

Black particles can occur when rubber materials used in plumbing fixtures break down.  Some examples are o-rings, gaskets, supply tubing and pipe coatings.  The problem should clear up if you isolate and replace the old plumbing material.  Many of these items can be found at your local hardware store.

Contact Greer CPW at 864-848-5500 to report concerns about the taste, smell or appearance of your water.