The ORS represents the public interest with regard to the regulation of rates and services of privately owned water and wastewater utilities in South Carolina.

The ORS has no regulatory responsibility for the rates and services of publicly owned providers of water and wastewater services (e.g., counties, water and sewer districts, and municipalities) or self-serving systems (e.g., member-owned cooperatives). However, the ORS does monitor activities in these arenas in order to provide information to policy makers in the state.