Public Water Authority
Grand Strand Water & Sewer Authority (GSWSA)
Serving Horry County and surrounding coastal service areas in Horry, Marion, and Dillon Counties
Population served
252,840 people (EPA SDWIS PWS ID SC2620004; 2026 active CWS record).
State system code
FIPS 45
Billing frequency
Monthly. The bill is due 14 days after the bill date, and GSWSA publishes a staged past-due process before disconnection.
Provider briefing
How this utility’s billing works
Grand Strand Water & Sewer Authority (GSWSA) operates as a public water authority serving Horry County and surrounding coastal service areas in Horry, Marion, and Dillon Counties. Customers should use the provider’s current account-specific bill and official customer-service instructions as the final authority for deadlines, balances, and service requests.
The published water-rate framework is described as Increasing block tiers with separate water and sewer volumetric charges. The published schedule has a combined water-and-sewer base charge of $26.85, water-only $14.70, rural water $20.70, or sewer-only $14.50. Combined-service usage is $1.59 per 1,000 gallons through 8,000 gallons, then progressively higher tiers. During the severe-drought policy activated July 1, 2026, excess charges begin after 6,000 gallons instead of 8,000 gallons; irrigation is requested outside 6:00-9:00 a.m.. Bills are generated monthly. the bill is due 14 days after the bill date, and gswsa publishes a staged past-due process before disconnection., and a typical residential cost reference is Using the published combined-service base and first-tier rates, a typical 5,000-7,000 gallon monthly household is approximately $47.20-$52.24 before any local supplemental charges, taxes, or service-line maintenance fees. GSWSA’s own rate page cites an average $59.41 combined water-and-sewer charge at 8,000 gallons, which is a useful cross-check for local account variations.. These descriptions are useful planning benchmarks; actual charges can change with meter size, usage, sewer averaging, local taxes, drought stages, or account-specific fees.
Wastewater and sewer calculation
Wastewater is billed from metered water consumption through the same GSWSA account. Sewer volume is $2.48 per 1,000 gallons through 8,000 gallons, then $2.73, $3.00, and higher successive tiers; a combined-service customer pays the $26.85 base plus the applicable water and sewer volume amounts. GSWSA also lists service-line maintenance charges by residential-equivalent unit and area-specific supplemental rates.
Meter and infrastructure notes
GSWSA bills monthly from customer water-meter consumption and provides online usage/account history, but the reviewed official pages do not identify an AMI vendor, hourly interval, or universal meter-read calendar. Customers should use the portal and compare the current read with the prior statement when investigating a leak.
Emergency water support
Report a leak or water emergency
843-443-8200, listed by GSWSA as the main office and after-hours emergency number. Customer service also routes account and leak questions through 843-443-8202; the official site instructs customers to use the emergency line for main breaks, shutdowns, pressure, and water-quality incidents.
Official starting point
Choose the right next step
Reading this profile
A practical reference for Horry County and surrounding coastal service areas in Horry, Marion, and Dillon Counties
Grand Strand Water & Sewer Authority (GSWSA) is listed here as a public water authority. The profile separates account actions—such as paying a bill or requesting service—from explanatory material about rates, meters, wastewater, leaks, and delinquency.
Because utility rules can vary by account class, meter size, service address, billing date, and local ordinance, treat the published bill and current provider website as the final authority. Use this profile to locate the correct channel and prepare better questions for customer service.
If your issue is urgent, start with the provider’s emergency number or official payment route rather than waiting for an email response. Keep a written record of calls, confirmation numbers, notice dates, and documents you submit.