#2 of 25 · Best Water Quality Reports in America 2026GoldPDF report

Mount Pleasant Waterworks

Mount Pleasant, South Carolina · 2024 data

Mount Pleasant is the most beautifully made print report in the cohort — a custom isometric aquifer cross-section and an illustrated treatment panorama give residents a genuine sense of where their water comes from. It is candid about PFAS and its own history. The craft is trapped in a PDF, which is the only reason it isn't higher.

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85/100

report clarity score

Gold

#2 of 25 reviewed · top 8%

Cohort median: 69/100

What their report looks like

Mount Pleasant Waterworks' 'Where Does My Water Come From?' page with an isometric 3D cross-section of the labeled aquifer layers and well system. — An illustrated underground cutaway shows exactly which aquifers Mount Pleasant draws its drinking water from.

How it scored, pillar by pillar

Weighted across five pillars for a 85/100 overall. Each note explains why this report earned that score.

Plain-language clarity25% of score

5/5+1.3 vs avg

A swimming-pool analogy spread makes parts-per-trillion tangible, and the illustrated narrative explains the system in plain terms.

A 5/5 looks like: Every term is translated, units are made tangible (e.g. an Olympic-pool analogy), and each section opens with what it means for you.

Contaminant transparency25% of score

5/5+1.0 vs avg

Lists UCMR5 PFAS values plainly and is candid about the system's history rather than presenting a spotless compliance line.

A 5/5 looks like: PFAS, lead and any exceedances are shown with real values against the limits, and problems are disclosed plainly rather than buried.

Information design20% of score

4.4/5+1.3 vs avg

Among the best-designed in the cohort — a custom isometric aquifer cross-section and an illustrated treatment panorama — just short of the visual data-encoding of the very top reports.

A 5/5 looks like: Contaminant data is visually encoded — charts against limits, multi-year trends, comparisons a layperson reads at a glance.

Digital accessibility & delivery20% of score

2/5≈ cohort avg

All of that craft is locked in a PDF; there is no responsive web-native version, so the digital experience lags the print.

A 5/5 looks like: A responsive web-native report with navigation, charts, and an address lookup — not just a PDF.

Timeliness & completeness10% of score

4.5/5+0.5 vs avg

Recent (2025) data with a complete contaminant panel.

A 5/5 looks like: The most recent data year, with a complete contaminant panel including unregulated/emerging compounds.

marks the cohort average across all 25 reviewed reports.

What each pillar means →

What it does best

The most editorial print piece in the cohort: a custom isometric aquifer cross-section and an illustrated treatment panorama.
Lists UCMR5 PFAS values plainly and is candid about the system's history.
A swimming-pool analogy spread that makes parts-per-trillion tangible.

Where it falls short

All of that craft is locked in a PDF — there is no web-native version, so the digital experience lags the print.

How it compares

Mount Pleasant Waterworks's report ranks #2 of 25 reviewed utilities, with a report-clarity score of 85/100 against a cohort median of 69. That places it in the top 8%.

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What even this report can't tell you

A report describes the water leaving the plant, not what reaches your tap — your building's plumbing is where lead usually enters.

See Mount Pleasant's water data