Philadelphia Water Department

Philadelphia sources its tap water from the Schuylkill and Delaware rivers, with each contributing approximately half of the city's overall supply. The Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) produces about 230 million gallons of purified water daily through its three treatment facilities.

Depending on your location within the city, your water comes from one of these plants:

• The Queen Lane Plant in East Falls (Schuylkill River source)
• The Belmont Plant in Wynnefield (Schuylkill River source)
• The Baxter Plant in Torresdale (Delaware River source)

How Contaminants Enter Our Water Supply

Water sources nationwide (both tap and bottled) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over land or underground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and can pick up substances from human and animal activities, potentially introducing various contaminants:

• Microbial contaminants from sewage facilities, septic systems, agricultural operations, and wildlife
• Inorganic contaminants like salts and metals that occur naturally or result from urban runoff, industrial discharges, oil/gas production, mining, or farming
• Pesticides and herbicides from agriculture, urban runoff, and residential uses
• Organic chemical contaminants from industrial processes, petroleum production, gas stations, runoff, and septic systems
• Radioactive contaminants that occur naturally or result from energy production and medical activities

While Philadelphia's watersheds are considerably cleaner today than they've been in over a century, ongoing protection efforts remain essential. The EPA regulates contaminant levels in public water supplies, while the FDA establishes similar limits for bottled water.

Lead Management Program

PWD continuously monitors water quality to ensure our treatment prevents lead leaching from building plumbing systems. Our corrosion control program, mandated by federal law and enhanced over two decades, creates a protective coating inside pipes to minimize lead release.

Every three years, we test at least 50 homes with lead plumbing as part of EPA's Lead and Copper Rule compliance monitoring. The 2017 testing confirmed Philadelphia's compliance with federal standards, with the next regulatory sampling scheduled for 2019.

Lead Service Line Replacement

When PWD replaces water mains, we also replace any lead service lines from the main to the customer's meter at no cost (with permission). Residents on blocks scheduled for water main replacement receive notification approximately six months before construction. To date, 771 customers have benefited from this lead service line replacement program.

Educational Outreach

PWD offers 30-minute educational presentations about our water quality programs and lead safety to Registered Community Organizations (RCOs) and civic groups. Our goal is to empower residents to address potential lead plumbing issues in their homes. Materials are available in multiple languages, and 60 RCOs have participated so far.

Pharmaceuticals in Water

Pharmaceutical compounds can enter water supplies when medications (both prescription and over-the-counter) are partially metabolized by the body. The remainder is excreted and may eventually reach water sources.

.. ...