Utilities in Bluffton, SC: Water, Power and Internet

Sparklight, which older residents still call Hargray, has its Bluffton store at 925 Fording Island Road on US 278. Go there to start or move internet, TV and phone service, swap a modem or settle a bill. It is open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (from 9 on Wednesday), and closed on weekends.

In a gated community, ask the association which provider has wired the neighborhood before you book an install, since some communities have a bulk contract. The island store and the Hargray story are on our Hilton Head utilities page.

Power in Bluffton comes from Palmetto Electric Cooperative or from Dominion Energy, depending on the address. Ask the seller, landlord or association which one serves the property before you call either.

Palmetto Electric, the member-owned co-op that also serves Hilton Head, has no office in Bluffton itself. Its nearest is the New River district office at 1 Cooperative Way in Hardeeville, open weekdays 8 to 5, and its other offices are in Ridgeland, Hampton and on Hilton Head. Service can be started or stopped online. Power out? Call the outage line, 1-866-445-5551.

Water and sewer in Bluffton come from the Beaufort-Jasper Water & Sewer Authority (BJWSA), which took over the town’s own system and also serves Beaufort, Port Royal and Hardeeville. Its main office is at 6 Snake Road in Okatie, off SC 170.

To start service at an existing connection, apply online, call (843) 987-9200 or go to the Okatie office, at least three business days before you need water. Have the service address, a Social Security or federal tax ID number, your date of birth and your driver’s license; a renter may be asked for the lease. The office is open Monday to Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and opens later on Friday. Leave every faucet and outdoor spigot turned off for the turn-on.

For rental owners and property managers: use this list when you buy, take over or furnish a Bluffton home. Start a week ahead; water needs three business days on its own.

• Water and sewer: apply with BJWSA online or on (843) 987-9200, with the owner’s ID and tax number.

• Power: find out whether the address is Palmetto Electric or Dominion Energy, then open the account online.

• Internet and TV: check with the association for a bulk contract, then book with Sparklight on US 278 or the community’s provider.

• Put the numbers in the guest guide: the power outage line, 1-866-445-5551, and the Wi-Fi details. A guest who can report an outage themselves saves you a call.

• Check the rental rules: the Town of Bluffton and many associations set their own rules for short-term rentals, separate from utilities. See Bluffton vacation rentals.