Philadelphia water treatment
Philadelphia water explained: lead service lines, chloramine, hardness by treatment plant, and PFAS results, with sources. Free water analysis and local installs.
Where Philadelphia's water comes from
Philadelphia Water Department serves about 1.6 million people from the Schuylkill and Delaware rivers through three treatment plants: Baxter, Belmont, and Queen Lane[1].
Key issues
- Lead service lines: as of October 2024, PWD counted 14,272 lead service lines and 1,189 galvanized lines requiring replacement, about 1 in 20 properties. You can look up your address on PWD's map[2]. PWD offers a replacement pilot and HELP loans[3]. See lead.
- Chloramine: PWD disinfects with chloramine[4], which the Puronics Hydronex iGen 30C is built to reduce, along with hardness. See chloramine.
- Hardness by plant (2024 averages): Baxter 98 mg/L (about 6 gpg), Belmont 152 mg/L (about 9 gpg), Queen Lane 168 mg/L (about 10 gpg)[1]. See hard water.
- PFAS: EPA UCMR 5 sampling found PFOA up to 8.1 ppt and PFOS up to 6 ppt, above the 4.0 ppt federal limit that takes effect in 2029[5][6].
Neighborhoods
Center City (19103)
Utility or well? ZIP 19103: about 0% of the land area lies outside mapped public water service areas[7]. Homes in those areas are likely on private wells, which no utility tests. If that's you, start with a free in-home test.
Philadelphia Water Department
EPA water system ID PA1510001 · serves about 1,600,000 people · surface water (rivers, streams, or reservoirs)
- Health violations
- No health-based violations on record[7]
- Lead
- 2 ppb at the 90th percentile of its most recent lead sampling (EPA action level: 15 ppb)[8]
- PFAS
- EPA UCMR 5 sampling found PFOA up to 8.1 ppt, PFOS up to 6 ppt, PFBS up to 10 ppt, PFPeA up to 9.9 ppt, so PFOA and PFOS were above the 4.0 ppt federal limit that takes effect in 2029.[5]
Full EPA record for this system · Ask the utility for its annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) for hardness and other details[9].
Fishtown & Port Richmond (19125)
Utility or well? ZIP 19125: about 0% of the land area lies outside mapped public water service areas[7]. Homes in those areas are likely on private wells, which no utility tests. If that's you, start with a free in-home test.
Philadelphia Water Department
EPA water system ID PA1510001 · serves about 1,600,000 people · surface water (rivers, streams, or reservoirs)
- Health violations
- No health-based violations on record[7]
- Lead
- 2 ppb at the 90th percentile of its most recent lead sampling (EPA action level: 15 ppb)[8]
- PFAS
- EPA UCMR 5 sampling found PFOA up to 8.1 ppt, PFOS up to 6 ppt, PFBS up to 10 ppt, PFPeA up to 9.9 ppt, so PFOA and PFOS were above the 4.0 ppt federal limit that takes effect in 2029.[5]
Full EPA record for this system · Ask the utility for its annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) for hardness and other details[9].
Southwest Philadelphia (19143)
Utility or well? ZIP 19143: about 1% of the land area lies outside mapped public water service areas[7]. Homes in those areas are likely on private wells, which no utility tests. If that's you, start with a free in-home test.
Philadelphia Water Department
EPA water system ID PA1510001 · serves about 1,600,000 people · surface water (rivers, streams, or reservoirs)
- Health violations
- No health-based violations on record[7]
- Lead
- 2 ppb at the 90th percentile of its most recent lead sampling (EPA action level: 15 ppb)[8]
- PFAS
- EPA UCMR 5 sampling found PFOA up to 8.1 ppt, PFOS up to 6 ppt, PFBS up to 10 ppt, PFPeA up to 9.9 ppt, so PFOA and PFOS were above the 4.0 ppt federal limit that takes effect in 2029.[5]
Full EPA record for this system · Ask the utility for its annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) for hardness and other details[9].
Common problems here
Check your ZIP in Philadelphia, PA
Look up what your local water utility has reported to the EPA, then take a 60-second quiz about what you see, taste, and smell at home. We'll use both to recommend the right solution.
Get your water report
Enter your ZIP code to see your utility's violations, lead testing, and PFAS results from public EPA records, explained in plain English.
Data comes from U.S. EPA and Census public records. It covers public water systems, not private wells, and it isn't a test of your home's tap. If you're on a well, a free in-home test is the best way to know what's in your water.
Step 2
Your recommended solution
Based on your water report and quiz answers.
Common questions
How do I find out what's in my water in Philadelphia, PA?
Enter your ZIP in our free report for your utility's EPA records, check your utility's annual water quality report (CCR), or book a free in-home test. On a private well, use a state-certified lab for health-related tests.
Does WÜDR install in Philadelphia, PA?
Yes. We serve Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Enter your ZIP in the help form and we'll confirm your address.
Clean water starts with knowing what's in it.
Sources
- Philadelphia Water Department: 2024 Water Quality Report (PDF). water.phila.gov/wp-content/uploads/files/2024-pwd-water-quality-report.pdf
- Philadelphia Water Department: New map of service line materials. water.phila.gov/drops/water-department-launches-new-map-of-service-line-materials-to-meet-new-federal-regulations/
- Philadelphia Water Department: Lead. water.phila.gov/lead/
- Philadelphia Water Department: 2025 Drinking Water Quality Report. water.phila.gov/drops/2025-drinking-water-quality-report/
- U.S. EPA: UCMR occurrence data. www.epa.gov/dwucmr/occurrence-data-unregulated-contaminant-monitoring-rule
- U.S. EPA: Proposed PFOA and PFOS compliance extension rule. www.epa.gov/sdwa/proposed-pfoa-and-pfos-compliance-extension-rule
- U.S. EPA: SDWIS Federal Reports (violations, lead and copper results). sdwis.epa.gov/ords/sfdw_pub/r/sfdw/sdwis_fed_reports_public/200
- U.S. EPA: Basic information about lead in drinking water. www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/basic-information-about-lead-drinking-water
- U.S. EPA: Consumer Confidence Reports (CCR) information for consumers. www.epa.gov/ccr/ccr-information-consumers
EPA records retrieved Oct 2026 from the EPA SDWIS and UCMR 5 public datasets. Utility records describe a water system, not the tap in your home. Records can lag and may be incomplete.