Public utilities provide electric, gas, water or telephone service to customers in a specified area. Utilities have a duty to provide safe and adequate service on reasonable terms to anyone who lives within the service area on without discriminating between customers. Because most utilities operate in near monopolistic conditions, they can be heavily regulated by local, state, and federal authorities. Generally, the local and state agencies are called Public Service Commissions (PSC) or Public Utility Commissions (PUC). Municipal Utilities and Rural Electric Cooperatives may be unregulated though.
Westville is an unincorporated community in Kershaw County, South Carolina, United States. It is part of the Columbia, South Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area. Before Westville got its name, it was known only as the West Section. In 1888, resident John C. West applied for the establishment of a post office and became the first postmaster. This post office officially changed its name to Westville in 1890. Westville is located on U.S. Route 521, 16 miles north of Camden. The Westville Fire Station opened in 1976, and the Westville fire tower is one of the few still in use throughout the state of South Carolina.