Philadelphia Water Department
EPA ID: PA1510001 · 1,600,000 people served · 48 ZIP codes
ZipCheckup's reading of EPA SDWIS for Philadelphia Water Department (PA1510001): 5 EPA violations in the last five years. Looking at the EPA enforcement file for Philadelphia Water Department, 5 violations appear in the five-year dataset, but none remain open - the utility has addressed each finding and is in current compliance, with no pending enforcement affecting the 1,600,000 people in its service area.
Data: EPA SDWIS
Service Area Map
Coverage area for Philadelphia Water Department Source: EPA SDWIS service area boundaries.
Service area boundary - Grade B
Service Area Demographics
The Philadelphia Water Department serves a community with a median household income of $61,257 and an estimated 1,582,836 residents across its service area. Approximately 86% of housing stock was built before 1986, which increases the likelihood of lead service lines and older plumbing.
Environmental Justice Note: 61% of the population in this service area is classified as disadvantaged under EPA's EJScreen criteria. Communities with higher disadvantaged populations often face disproportionate environmental and health burdens, including aging water infrastructure and limited resources for remediation.
🌊 Where Does Your Water Come From?
Philadelphia Water Department's water is drawn from rivers, lakes, or reservoirs. Surface water sources are more exposed to agricultural runoff, stormwater, and upstream discharges, but they typically receive more intensive treatment before reaching your tap.
Wastewater Proximity Note: This service area ranks in the 60th percentile nationally for proximity to wastewater discharge points. Surface water sources near wastewater outfalls may face additional treatment challenges.
Superfund Proximity Note: This service area ranks in the 80th percentile nationally for proximity to Superfund (NPL) sites.
Infrastructure Risk
Detected Contaminants
How Philadelphia Water Department compares to EPA limits
What This Means For You
Fecal Coliform at 5 presence exceeds the EPA maximum of presence.
PFAS Detected in Service Area
PFAS ("forever chemicals") have been detected in water serving this system's area. 369 detections recorded. 93 exceed federal EPA limits (4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS).
Comparable Water Systems
Similar-sized systems in Pennsylvania
Estimated Remediation Costs
Average estimated costs across ZIP codes served by this system
Based on national averages for common remediation projects. Actual costs vary by property. Only issues flagged by EPA, FEMA, or state data for each ZIP code are included.
System Overview
Philadelphia Water Department (EPA ID: PA1510001) is a community water system in Pennsylvania that serves approximately 1,600,000 people from surface water sources.
This system provides water to 48 ZIP codes across 1 community.
ZIP-Area Home Safety Context: B (79/100)
This is the average Home Safety Score for 46 of 48 service-area ZIP codes with all required score domains observed. It is not a grade for the water utility.
Model 4.0.0 uses SDWIS identity plus accepted ECHO SDWA lifecycle-based water compliance, the UCMR 5 PFAS MCL screen, EPA radon zone, and annual EPA AirData AQI across three equally weighted domains. Missing required evidence suppresses the score.
Violation History
Status breakdown for accepted records with record years 2021-2026: 4 resolved, 1 archived, 0 addressed, and 0 unaddressed. Under this source contract, current noncompliance is the sum of addressed and unaddressed records. Archived and resolved records are excluded from current noncompliance.
Recent Violations
| Date | Contaminant | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 1, 2026 | Fecal Coliform | Non-health-based | Archived |
| September 1, 2025 | Fecal Coliform | Non-health-based | Resolved |
| December 1, 2024 | Fecal Coliform | Non-health-based | Resolved |
| June 1, 2023 | Fecal Coliform | Non-health-based | Resolved |
| June 1, 2022 | Fecal Coliform | Non-health-based | Resolved |
Contaminants Detected
The following contaminants have been flagged in EPA records for this water system:
| Contaminant | Category | Violations | Health-Based |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fecal Coliform | Microbiological | 5 | No |
Lead & Copper
EPA Lead and Copper Rule evidence attributed directly to this water system:
| Lead Level | Exceeds Action Level | Sample Date |
|---|---|---|
| 0.002 mg/L | No | N/A |
No copper action-level exceedance record appears for this PWSID in the accepted LCR snapshot. This does not establish a clean copper measurement.
Radon Risk in Service Area
Dominant radon zone for ZIP codes served by this system: Zone 3 (Low Risk)
Need help with your water quality?
Typical cost: Water test: typically $20–$50 (DIY kit) · Professional inspection: $150–$400
Find the Right Water FilterFree tip: Let cold water run for 2 minutes before drinking — this helps flush lead from your pipes.
ZIP Codes Served
Coverage: Service area ZIP codes sourced from EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3 (March 2026 release). These ZIPs reflect the actual deployment footprint recorded by PA or modeled from parcel and building-footprint data.
This system serves 48 ZIP codes:
19102 · 19103 · 19104 · 19106 · 19107 19108 · 19109 · 19111 · 19114 · 19115 19116 · 19118 · 19119 · 19120 · 19121 19122 · 19123 · 19124 · 19125 · 19126 19127 · 19128 · 19129 · 19130 · 19131 19132 · 19133 · 19134 · 19135 · 19136 19137 · 19138 · 19139 · 19140 · 19141 19142 · 19143 · 19144 · 19145 · 19146 19147 · 19148 · 19149 · 19150 · 19151 19152 · 19153 · 19154
Data Sources
This report uses public data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). View the full compliance record for Philadelphia Water Department (PA1510001) on EPA.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Philadelphia Water Department water safe to drink?
The accepted 2026Q2 ECHO snapshot shows no current noncompliance for Philadelphia Water Department; its 5 accepted 2021-2026 records are resolved or archived. Historical compliance status does not establish conditions at a specific tap.
How many people does Philadelphia Water Department serve?
Philadelphia Water Department serves approximately 1,600,000 people across 48 ZIP codes in Pennsylvania.
Where does Philadelphia Water Department get its water?
The primary water source is surface water.
Federal UCMR5 PFAS Monitoring: Detected
This water system was tested under the federal EPA Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR5). PFAS compounds were detected below the current state-enforceable MCL.
Current MCL reflects the lowest state-enforceable limit (NYS 10 ppt for PFOA/PFOS, effective August 2020). The federal final MCL of 4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS (EPA April 2024 rule) is not enforceable until April 2029. Detections above 4 ppt but below 10 ppt are below current MCL but above the future federal limit.
Source: U.S. EPA UCMR5 (Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, 5th cycle) — per-system federal sampling, 2023–2025. EPA UCMR5 monitoring program →
How Water Systems Appear in Rankings
Water systems are evaluated by violation history, contaminant detections, and service population. Larger systems with more service connections appear in more rankings.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to cite this page
ZipCheckup. (n.d.). Philadelphia Water Department (PA): 5 EPA Violations. https://zipcheckup.com/water-system/pa1510001/
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title = {{Philadelphia Water Department (PA): 5 EPA Violations}},
year = {n.d.},
url = {https://zipcheckup.com/water-system/pa1510001/}
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What You Can Do
Test your water
Home test kits can detect lead, bacteria, and other contaminants at your tap. Find the right filter →
Check your specific ZIP code
Water quality can vary within a system. View nearest ZIP report →
Contact your utility
Philadelphia Water Department (EPA ID: PA1510001) - request the latest Consumer Confidence Report or ask about specific contaminants.