Campobello dates to 1840, and the name comes from the Italian for "beautiful field". It is a small place, 675 people in the 2020 census, centered where US 176 meets SC 357 along the South Pacolet River, with SC 11 crossing the north end of town and I-26 just to the east. It grew by about a third in the ten years before that count.
The utility picture is rural and simple. Water comes from the Inman-Campobello Water District, which was formed in 1954 to serve Inman, Campobello and the country around them, and which buys its treated water wholesale from the Broad River Water Authority in North Carolina. Most homes, in town and out, run their wastewater to a septic tank. And the town's own list of utilities points to propane dealers, not a gas main.
That shapes what goes wrong in a Campobello house. A slow drain is as likely to be a septic issue as a clog. A leak on a long yard line can run for weeks before the water bill gives it away. And the water heater is usually electric or propane rather than natural gas.
Campobello at a glance
- Natural gas
- Mostly propane (no gas main confirmed). The town's own utility list names propane dealers rather than a natural gas utility, so do not assume a gas main reaches your road.
- Water
- Inman-Campobello Water District
- Sewer
- Mostly septic
- Permits
- Spartanburg County Building Codes (confirm with Campobello Town Hall)
- Housing
- A small town center of older frame houses along US 176, with rural homes and newer houses on acreage in the surrounding foothills.
Plumbing and gas in Campobello: what to know
When every drain is slow, look downstream
One slow sink is a local clog. Every fixture slow at once, gurgling in the tub when the toilet flushes, or water rising in the lowest drain points to the building sewer, the tank or the drain field. Clearing the line helps only if the line is the problem, so it pays to know where your cleanout and tank lid are before the day you need them.
Long service lines from the district meter
On country lots the water meter sits at the road and the house sits well back from it. Everything past the meter is yours to maintain. A jump in usage you cannot explain, a soft green patch in dry weather, or a faint hiss at the house with every tap closed are the usual signs of a leak in the yard.
Propane and electric water heaters
Without a gas main, most homes here heat water with an electric tank or a propane unit. The propane company owns and sets the tank and regulator; the piping inside the house is held to the same fuel gas code as natural gas. When an electric heater quits, a failed element or thermostat is often the cause, while a leaking tank means replacement.
Crawlspace pipes in a hard freeze
Foothill homes on crawlspaces lose pipes on the coldest nights of the year, usually on runs near foundation vents or exterior walls. Insulate exposed supply lines, close the vents for the winter, and learn where your main shutoff is. A split pipe in a crawlspace can run a long time before anyone sees the water.