Savannah is one of America’s most charming cities — moss-draped oaks, cobblestone squares, and a historic district that draws millions of visitors. It’s also home to the fourth-busiest container port in the United States and a significant industrial corridor along the Savannah River. That combination of beauty and heavy industry creates a water quality dynamic that residents should understand.
The Port and Industrial Corridor
The Port of Savannah, operated by the Georgia Ports Authority, handles over 5 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of container cargo annually. The port complex stretches along the Savannah River, and the economic activity it generates has attracted extensive industrial development throughout Chatham County and surrounding areas.
Industries in the Savannah area include:
- Paper and pulp manufacturing — Georgia-Pacific and other producers operate large facilities in the region. Paper mills are significant water users and can discharge treated wastewater containing organic compounds, nutrients, and other processing chemicals.
- Chemical manufacturing — Several chemical production facilities operate in the Savannah area, producing a range of products.
- Oil and fuel storage and distribution — The port area includes fuel terminals and bulk storage facilities.
- Food processing — Sugar refining, food manufacturing, and related operations.
- Power generation — Coal and natural gas-fired power plants along the river corridor.
These operations are regulated under NPDES permits and must meet discharge limits. But the cumulative effect of multiple permitted discharges, along with stormwater runoff from industrial areas, affects the Savannah River’s water quality.
The Savannah River
The Savannah River forms the border between Georgia and South Carolina and serves as a drinking water source for multiple communities on both sides. Before reaching the city, the river passes through areas with their own water quality influences:
The Savannah River Site (SRS) — a Department of Energy nuclear reservation in South Carolina, about 100 miles upstream — has been a source of radiological and chemical contamination concerns for decades. While the DOE has conducted extensive remediation and monitoring, the SRS’s legacy of nuclear weapons production and waste storage has left contamination in groundwater and surface water that is still being managed. Current monitoring data shows the river meets drinking water standards downstream of SRS, but the facility’s presence adds a unique dimension to the watershed’s contamination history.
Agricultural runoff from the Georgia and South Carolina Piedmont contributes sediment, nutrients, and pesticides to the river system.
The J. Strom Thurmond Dam and Reservoir and other upstream impoundments moderate flow and trap some sediment, but they also affect river temperature and chemistry in ways that influence downstream water quality.
Savannah’s Drinking Water
The City of Savannah’s water system, managed by the city’s Water Resources Department, draws from the Upper Floridan Aquifer — one of the most productive aquifer systems in the southeastern United States. This is a deep limestone aquifer that provides naturally filtered, high-quality groundwater.
Using groundwater rather than Savannah River surface water is a significant advantage for drinking water quality. The Upper Floridan Aquifer is separated from surface contamination sources by layers of clay and other confining formations, providing natural protection.
However, the aquifer isn’t without its challenges:
Saltwater intrusion has been a long-standing concern for the Savannah area. Heavy groundwater pumping — from municipal, industrial, and agricultural users — has lowered water levels in the aquifer, allowing saltwater from the coast to migrate inland. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) has established the Coastal Georgia Water and Wastewater Permitting Plan to manage groundwater withdrawals and protect the aquifer.
Naturally occurring minerals in the limestone aquifer, including calcium, magnesium, and sometimes hydrogen sulfide (which produces a rotten egg smell), affect the aesthetic quality of the water.
Chlorination of groundwater for disinfection can produce disinfection byproducts if the source water contains dissolved organic carbon.
The city’s Consumer Confidence Reports show Savannah’s water meeting all EPA primary drinking water standards. The groundwater source provides a significant head start on quality, but treatment and distribution still matter.
The Superfund Factor
The Savannah area has several contaminated sites that affect or have the potential to affect water quality:
LCP Chemicals Georgia Superfund site — located on the Savannah River in Brunswick (coastal Georgia) — involved mercury contamination from a former chlor-alkali plant. While not in Savannah proper, it illustrates the types of industrial contamination present along Georgia’s coast.
The Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort and Parris Island Marine Corps Recruit Depot in nearby South Carolina have documented PFAS contamination from AFFF use, similar to military base contamination found nationwide.
Within the Savannah metro area, various brownfield and contaminated sites associated with former industrial operations require ongoing monitoring and remediation. The Georgia EPD’s Hazardous Site Inventory tracks these properties.
Wastewater and Stormwater
Savannah’s water quality story isn’t just about what comes into the tap — it’s also about what goes back into the environment:
Combined sewer overflows (CSOs) have historically been a problem in Savannah’s older neighborhoods. Parts of the city’s sewer system combine sanitary sewage and stormwater in the same pipes. During heavy rains, the combined flow can exceed treatment capacity and overflow into local waterways untreated. The city has been under an EPA consent decree since 1996 to address CSO problems, and has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in sewer system improvements.
Stormwater runoff from the port area, industrial zones, and urban surfaces carries pollutants into local waterways and ultimately the Savannah River and its estuary. Petroleum, heavy metals, and sediment are common stormwater contaminants in industrial port areas.
These discharges primarily affect surface water quality and the estuarine environment rather than the deep groundwater source used for drinking water. But they’re part of the overall environmental quality picture that residents should be aware of.
What Residents Should Know
The good news: Savannah’s use of deep groundwater for drinking water provides a natural buffer against many of the surface-level contamination sources associated with port and industrial activity. The Upper Floridan Aquifer is a premium water source.
The caveats:
- Aging distribution infrastructure can affect water quality between the treatment plant and your tap. Savannah’s older neighborhoods may have pipes dating back many decades.
- Lead service lines may be present in the oldest parts of the city. The city is conducting its lead service line inventory as required by federal regulation.
- Private wells in unincorporated Chatham County may draw from shallower aquifer zones that are more vulnerable to contamination.
What Residents Can Do
- Read the annual Consumer Confidence Report from Savannah Water Resources. It’s your primary source of information about what’s in your water.
- Check your home’s plumbing. If your home was built before 1986, investigate whether you have lead pipes, lead solder, or a lead service line.
- Flush your taps before using water for drinking or cooking if water has been sitting in pipes for several hours.
- Private well owners should test annually for bacteria, nitrates, and any contaminants relevant to nearby land uses. The Chatham County Health Department can provide guidance.
Water Treatment Options
For lead concerns: Point-of-use reverse osmosis or NSF/ANSI 53-certified filters effectively reduce lead at the tap.
For hydrogen sulfide (sulfur smell): Oxidation systems using aeration, chlorination, or hydrogen peroxide can eliminate the odor. Activated carbon filters also help with mild cases.
For hard water (common with limestone aquifer sources): Water softeners using ion exchange reduce calcium and magnesium, improving lather, reducing scale buildup, and extending appliance life.
For general quality improvement: A multi-stage under-sink system combining sediment filtration, carbon filtration, and optional RO addresses the broadest range of potential contaminants.
Savannah manages to balance its identity as a historic, beautiful city with the realities of being a major industrial port. The same balancing act applies to water quality — the city has natural advantages in its groundwater source, but staying informed about what’s in your water and how to address any concerns is always worthwhile.
If you’re concerned about your water quality, a certified water treatment professional can test your water and advise on solutions.