Public water system record
Philadelphia Water Department
Serves Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA · 1,600,000 people served
Federal records show no health-based violations and 7 monitoring/reporting issues for Philadelphia Water Department in the last ten years.
System profile
- Health-based violations, last 10 years
- 0
- Resolved
- 0
- Unresolved
- 0
- Any acute record
- No
- Monitoring issues, last 10 years
- 7
Key facts
- Philadelphia Water Department draws water from 3 surface water intakes.
- Most recent formal enforcement: consent decree or court judgment by Pennsylvania, September 2005.
- Record on file since 1979, with 14 health-based violations before October 19, 2016.
- Lead pipe inventory: 16,805 lead and 351,513 unknown out of 527,919 service lines.
Check whether Philadelphia Water Department serves your address
Health-based violations
Since October 2016Violation data reflects EPA records through March 2026. For the most current status, visit the EPA ECHO database.
None since October 2016.
Monitoring and reporting issues
Since October 2016Missed tests or reports, not contaminants found above a limit.
| Issue | Start date | Status |
|---|---|---|
|
Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule
Monitoring and reporting
|
Sep 1, 2025 | Resolved |
|
Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule
Monitoring and reporting
|
Dec 1, 2024 | Resolved |
|
Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jun 1, 2023 | Resolved |
|
Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jun 1, 2022 | Resolved |
|
Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule
Monitoring and reporting
|
Apr 1, 2018 | Resolved |
|
Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule
Monitoring and reporting
|
Nov 1, 2016 | Resolved |
|
Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule
Monitoring and reporting
|
Oct 1, 2016 | Resolved |
Full record since 1979
EPA's records for Philadelphia Water Department go back to 1979. Before October 19, 2016 they list 14 health-based violations (14 resolved) and 46 monitoring or reporting violations.
| Violations that began in | Health-based | Monitoring and reporting |
|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0 | 2 |
| 1990s | 5 | 2 |
| 2000s | 7 | 35 |
| 2010 to October 18, 2016 | 2 | 7 |
| October 19, 2016 to 2019 | 0 | 2 |
| 2020s | 0 | 4 |
Most recent health-based violation before October 19, 2016: Surface Water Treatment Rule, began November 2010, Resolved.
Show all 14 health-based violations before October 19, 2016
| Contaminant | Start date | Status |
|---|---|---|
|
Surface Water Treatment Rule
Treatment technique failure
|
Nov 1, 2010 | Resolved |
|
Surface Water Treatment Rule
Treatment technique failure
|
Sep 1, 2010 | Resolved |
|
Surface Water Treatment Rule
Treatment technique failure
|
Jul 1, 2007 | Resolved |
|
CARBON, TOTAL
Treatment technique failure
|
Oct 1, 2003 | Resolved |
|
CARBON, TOTAL
Treatment technique failure
|
Oct 1, 2003 | Resolved |
|
CARBON, TOTAL
Treatment technique failure
|
Oct 1, 2003 | Resolved |
|
CARBON, TOTAL
Treatment technique failure
|
Jul 1, 2003 | Resolved |
|
CARBON, TOTAL
Treatment technique failure
|
Apr 1, 2003 | Resolved |
|
CARBON, TOTAL
Treatment technique failure
|
Jan 1, 2003 | Resolved |
|
Surface Water Treatment Rule
Treatment technique failure
|
Mar 1, 1992 | Resolved |
|
Surface Water Treatment Rule
Treatment technique failure
|
Feb 1, 1992 | Resolved |
|
Surface Water Treatment Rule
Treatment technique failure
|
Nov 1, 1991 | Resolved |
|
Surface Water Treatment Rule
Treatment technique failure
|
Sep 1, 1991 | Resolved |
|
Surface Water Treatment Rule
Treatment technique failure
|
Aug 1, 1991 | Resolved |
Enforcement actions
Pennsylvania regulators took 1 formal enforcement action against Philadelphia Water Department in 2005. The most recent was a consent decree or court judgment in September 2005.
| Date | By | Action | Violations covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 14, 2005 | Pennsylvania | Consent decree or court judgment | 1 violation: CARBON, TOTAL |
Where the water comes from
Philadelphia Water Department draws water from 3 surface water intakes. 1 other community water system and 8 smaller public systems such as schools, businesses or campgrounds buy water from Philadelphia Water Department.
Community systems that buy water from it
- Aqua PA Main System Bryn Mawr, PA
Annual water quality report
Philadelphia Water Department must give its customers an annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report) by July 1, with the levels its tests found in the previous year.
Systems serving 10,000 or more people must mail or deliver the report to every customer, and from 2027 they must send it twice a year.
Find a posted report with EPA's Consumer Confidence Report search
Testing your own water
To test the water at your tap, or a private well this record does not cover, use a laboratory certified for drinking water by Pennsylvania.
Certified drinking water labs by state EPA guidance for private wells