Drought Conditions Improve for Spartanburg County

The South Carolina Drought Response Committee met on August 6, 2026, and downgraded the drought status for Spartanburg County from severe to moderate. Beneficial rain over the last 30-days resulted in more normal stream flows which refilled our communities water supply reservoirs and provided much needed relief across many areas of upstate South Carolina.

Although conditions continue to improve, moderate drought conditions are expected to persist in some areas of the upstate for the foreseeable future. Many local streams and groundwater levels require additional recharge to counter the rainfall deficit that has been ongoing since August 2025. The South Carolina Drought Response Committee is scheduled to reconvene on September 8, 2026, to address and reassess ongoing conditions.

In Spring of 2026, Spartanburg Water requested voluntary water restrictions for non-essential water use from our customers due to the severe drought status. Through monitoring and adherence to our strategic Drought Management Plan, we requested these voluntary reductions out of an abundance of caution, to maintain reservoir levels and solid stewardship of our natural resources.

With the improvement of our drought status, Spartanburg Water is no longer requesting voluntary water use restrictions for customers in the Spartanburg system.

"Being proactive and responsible stewards of our natural resources are part of Spartanburg Water's core responsibilities. We don't wait until water supplies are under significant stress before encouraging conservation because protecting our rivers and reservoirs is always the right approach. The voluntary measures we recommended were part of our long-standing commitment to responsible water management, and we're grateful our customers answered that call,” said Spartanburg Water CEO, Guy Boyle.

“Although improving drought conditions now allow us to lift these recommendations for most of our customers, thoughtful water use remains one of the simplest and most effective ways we can all help preserve this valuable resource."

Spartanburg Water will continue to monitor drought conditions and update customers. The latest news can always be found on www.spartanburgwater.org