Purple streetlights across Horry County are part of manufacturer’s defective batch

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WMBF) - Residents may have noticed some street lights shining purple instead of white.

Duke Energy South Carolina said they are upgrading many older, less efficient lights with LED lighting over the last few years, and plan to continue this transition in the years ahead.

The energy company said it has identified a small pocket of LED lights which turned from the standard white color to a deep purple color.

The change in color is due to a manufacturer defect recently identified and is being addressed. The defect causes the color of the light to gradually turn purple. The light otherwise continues to work.

These fixtures are new and still under manufacturer warranties, which should cover the cost of the replacement fixtures.

Duke Energy South Carolina’s Ryan Mosier said, “We have been replacing or repairing these lights as they are identified, and we have alerted our field crews to look for and report any of these lights that they encounter. Once reported, the defective lights are typically repaired within a few days.”

Mosier said they believe this issue is isolated to one manufacturing batch of LED lights.

Other utility companies across the nation using the same stock of lights are experiencing similar issues.

He said they are also asking the public to help identify these lights so they can replace them more quickly.

If you see a light that is purple or not performing properly, report it using Duke Energy’s online street light repair tool or by calling the customer service center at 800-777-9898.

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