The Joint Municipal Water & Sewer Commission (JMWSC) was formed by Lexington County and three municipalities to meet water and wastewater service needs in unincorporated areas of Lexington County. In the past 30 years, the Commission has gained seven additional members, including both small systems like the Town of Batesburg-Leesville and larger systems like the City of West Columbia. While the participants’ systems continue to operate independently, the members appoint representatives to the governing board and pool resources to achieve the shared goals of promoting economic development and addressing health, environmental, and quality of life concerns. JMWSC serves more than 50 square miles of Lexington County and primarily uses revenue bonds to fund extension of services.

In 2022, the Town of Batesburg-Leesville and JMWSC entered an agreement to connect the two systems so that Batesburg-Leesville can buy water from JMWSC. After being placed under a DHEC Consent Order in 2013, Batesburg-Leesville needed to secure a safe, reliable source of drinking water for its customers. This 40-year contract is designed to meet that need. The agreement also includes a commitment to consider regionalizing the Batesburg-Leesville system by franchising the rights to sell water and sewer services within the town to JMWSC.