It is my pleasure to present our

2020 Water Quality Report, created to ensure Philadelphians know what the science shows: our drinking water is safe, clean, and top-quality.

During a year when the pandemic made it critically clear that having clean water at home is essential, we met many challenges and delivered on our daily pledge to protect the health and safety of those we serve.

This report features water quality information collected throughout 2020.

You will also find information about where your water comes from, and how we protect your safety as water moves from the rivers, through our plants and pipes, and into your home.

This new, more accessible approach — showing customers how we maintain quality at every step — was developed by our Public Affairs team in close collaboration with our Bureau of Laboratory Services.

Following water on its journey to your tap also shows that access to excellent quality water around the clock is made possible only through the hard work and dedication of more than 2,000 Water Department employees.

We hope you take the time to review the wealth of information in this report.

If you’d like to volunteer and help keep our waterways clean, please follow @PhillyH2O on social media, call our 24-hour hotline at

(215) 685-6300, or visit water.phila.gov

You can also sign up for email and text alerts at phillyh2o.info/signup.

Sincerely,

Randy E. Hayman, Esq.

Water Commissioner

View this report online:

water.phila.gov/2020-quality

Sharing this report

Please share this report with all people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand and mail.

To receive a printed copy of this report, please email: waterquality@phila.gov.

People with

special health concerns

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno- compromised persons, such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS and other immune system disorders, and some elderly people and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)/Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline:

(800) 426-4791.

Table of Contents

3. A message from the Commissioner
4. Sharing this report

4. People with special health concerns
5. How this document is organized

Part One: Source & Treatment

6. Philadelphia’s source watersheds

6. Looking closely for potential threats
7. Drinking Water Treatment Plants and processes

9. A Closer Look: Hardness

Part Two: Delivery

10. A Closer Look: Residual Chlorine
11. Real-time results

11 25-year Drinking Water Plan

Part Three: At Home

12. Your service line

12. Corrosion Control

12. Flushing your pipes
13. Talking about tap water
14. Lead in a property’s plumbing

14. A Closer Look: Carefully monitoring lead

14. Lead Service Line replacement

2020 Data Tables & More

15. An Introduction to the results
16. What we test for, and how 17– 20 2020 Data tables

21. Glossary
22. Top customer questions
23. Working together

Part One:

Source &

Treatment

Philly’s local water sources, and what we do to keep water safe

pages 6–9

Charts and graphs let you see the data in a new way



A C L O S E R L O O K

Here’s the story of why we do this test

 R E S U LT :

All results are better than the recommended federal levels.

Handwritten notes explain how and why we do these tests



Look here for key takeaways



• We study regional influences like natural gas drilling, and global influences like sea level rise.

• Protecting against stormwater and agricultural runoff.
• Monitoring water contaminants.

• We team up with upstream groups to help safe water flow to Philadelphia from areas outside the city.

SCRANTON • NY

PA

ALLENTOWN•

READING •NJ

•TRENTON

Schuylkill •PHILADELPHIA

River

Delaware

River

•WILMINGTON

Philadelphia source watersheds

Delaware River Watershed

Schuylkill River Watershed

Looking closely for potential threats

Cryptosporidium, a microscopic organism sometimes found in freshwater,

can cause illness in humans. We are one of the nation’s leaders in Cryptosporidium research. We work closely with the Philadelphia Department of Public Health to ensure our tap water is free of Cryptosporidium and other organisms.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are potentially harmful chemicals that have been used in industry and many consumer products. We voluntarily test for PFAS in the city’s rivers and creeks. PWD’s water sampling has not detected amounts at or above the EPA’s health advisory levels.

A recent independent test by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection showed no detectable PFAS concentrations in Philadelphia’s treated drinking water.

Baxter

Queen Lane

Baxter/

Queen Lane Mix

Belmont

Belmont primarily,

One city. also receives Baxter/ Queen Lane Mix

Two rivers.

Three treatment plants.

Philadelphia has two rivers that provide our drinking water: the Delaware River and the Schuylkill River. PWD operates three water treatment plants:

Baxter, Queen Lane, and Belmont.

Where you live in Philadelphia determines which plant(s) treat your water!

High-quality staff. High-quality results.

The experts working at our treatment plants take pride in using water drawn from our local rivers.

Hundreds of millions of gallons of top-quality drinking water are produced every day.

Before it leaves the plant

We test our treated water for about

100 regulated contaminants, ranging from organisms like bacteria to chemicals like nitrate.

In 2020, we found no violations under state and federal regulations.

Final touches

Chlorine + Ammonia

Chlorine protects us from organisms found in untreated water that can cause disease. Ammonia is added to make the chlorine last longer and reduce the bleach-like smell.

A C L O S E R L O O K

Hardness

The hardness of water is determined by the minerals naturally dissolved in it.

Hardness can vary based on natural conditions – for example, a drought can impact hardness.

Hardness matters if you use your water for activities like brewing beer or keeping a home aquarium. Customers often ask about hardness when researching appliances like dishwashers.

What this means for you

Fluoride

All water contains some fluoride. We adjust the natural levels slightly to help protect your teeth against decay.

Zinc orthophosphate

Zinc orthophosphate is a compound that helps a protective coating form on pipes. It prevents corrosion (or breaking down over time).

• R E S U LT :
  Philadelphia’s water is moderately hard or hard, depending on which treatment plant serves your neighborhood.

Hardness matters if you use your water for activities like brewing beer or keeping a home aquarium.

Most customers don’t need to monitor their water’s hardness.

A safe path through the system

We have about 3,100 miles of water mains that deliver clean tap to customers. To ensure water stays safe as it moves from the plant to you, we take samples and monitor real-time water quality data, 24/7.

A C L O S E R L O O K

Residual Chlorine

This test is done throughout the system. It checks that the chlorine added at plants remains at levels that keep water fresh and safe while staying within regulations.

2020 Results

5.0

4.5

4.0HIGHEST LEVEL

0.5

What this means for you

• R E S U LT :
  Better than standards.

We travel the city to collect samples of drinking water from fire and police stations, pumping stations, and more.

We do over 420 of these tests every month!

Real-time results

We use sensors throughout the system to track water quality in real-time.

These extra tests let us know if the quality changes as the water travels through our network of mains.

25-year Drinking Water Plan

Over 400 significant improvements, including 10 key projects, are designed to strengthen the system that has served this city for centuries. From pumping stations to water mains, we’ll keep the water safe as it flows across the city. And we’re making sure our infrastructure is reliable, robust and resilient, for today and tomorrow.

water main

your service line

Most people don’t know this is part of their home’s plumbing.



Corrosion Control

Philadelphia has a corrosion control program mandated by federal law and optimized over the past two decades. It minimizes the release of lead from service lines, indoor pipes, fixtures, and solder by creating a coating designed to keep lead from leaching into the water.

What do we mean by “flushing your pipes”?

Flushing pushes the water that is sitting in pipes out and down your drain until clean water comes through the tap. When pipes are disturbed during construction or repairs, they might require flushing.

Clean water starts at our water mains.

main water

START

BASEMENT Running the tap gets rid of water sitting in pipes.

Healthy home habit

If you haven’t used water for 6 hours or more: Run your cold water for 3–5 minutes. This will flush out water that’s been sitting in your pipes.

It only costs a penny or two to ensure top-quality tap!

Talking about tap water

In neighborhoods across Philadelphia, our customers tell us what matters to them. When it comes to tap water, there’s a lot to talk about!

For starters, some residents are surprised they can get great drinking water right at home for less than a penny per gallon.

In each conversation, we hear loud and clear: Safe drinking water is a top priority, and lead is a topic people want to learn more about.

Carefully monitoring Lead

In addition to regular tests in customer homes, every three years we complete a rigorous round of sampling for lead and copper. We take samples from homes that have lead service lines.

We share the results with the EPA and the public.

The EPA requires that 90% of homes show lead levels less than 15 ppb.

Recent results

What this means for you

Soon, the EPA will update their guidelines for sampling. This will impact future results. We support this effort to make sure sampling is accurate, and to help identify homes with lead plumbing.

• R E S U LT :

Lead levels are consistently lower than limits set by the EPA.

US EPA Guidance

The EPA requires public water providers like the Philadelphia Water Department to monitor drinking water for lead at customer taps. If lead levels are higher than 15 parts per billion (ppb) in more than 10% of taps sampled, water providers must inform customers and take steps to reduce lead in water.

If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from material and components associated with service lines and home plumbing.

The Philadelphia Water Department is responsible for providing safe drinking water but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. If you haven’t turned on your tap for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap before using water for drinking and cooking. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800) 426-4791 or at: www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

1/2 TSP

PPM vs . PPB

ppm (parts per million):

Denotes 1 part per 1,000,000 parts, which is equivalent to two thirds of a gallon in an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

ppb (parts per billion):

Denotes 1 part per 1,000,000,000 parts, which is equivalent to half a teaspoon in an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

We monitor for the regulated parameters listed below.

Any contaminants found are noted in the tables on the following pages:

Other factors that can impact drinking water Appealing to Your Senses

We work to ensure your water looks, tastes and smells the way it should.

To meet all water quality

taste and odor guidelines, we test for the following: alkalinity, aluminum, chloride, color, hardness, iron, manganese, odor, pH, silver, sodium, sulfate, surfactants, total dissolved solids, turbidity and zinc.

Temperature and Cloudiness

The temperature of the Schuylkill and Delaware Rivers varied seasonally in 2020 from approximately 36°–84° Fahrenheit. PWD does not treat the water for temperature.

Cloudiness in tap water most commonly happens in the winter, when the cold water

from the water main is warmed up quickly in

household plumbing. Cold water and water

under pressure can hold more air than warmer water and water open to the atmosphere.

When really cold winter water comes out of your tap, it’s simultaneously warming up and being relieved of the pressure it was under inside the water main and your plumbing. The milky white color is actually just tiny air bubbles. If you allow the glass to sit undisturbed for a few minutes, you will see it clear up gradually.

Regulated Radiological Contaminants & Asbestos

In 2020, PWD monitored for radiological contaminants: uranium, gross alpha and combined radium and also asbestos at the three water treatment plants.

All results were non-detect.

The parameters listed below are not part of EPA’s requirements and are provided for information purposes.

SODIUM IN TAP WATER

WATER TIP:

Parameters like these matter if you use your water for activities like brewing beer or keeping a home aquarium.

Average (mg in 8 oz. glass of water)

5 mg

9 mg

9 mg

Range (ppm)

16–32 ppm

25–52 ppm

26–44 ppm

Range (mg in 8 oz. glass of water)

4–8 mg

6–12 mg

6–10 mg

Average

Minimum

Maximum

Average

Minimum

25 ppm

34 ppm

49 ppm

Maximum

53 ppm

102 ppm

111 ppm

Glossary

Some of the words we use in the data tables may not be familiar to you. Here are definitions of technical and other terms.

Total Coliform: Coliforms are bacteria that are naturally present in the environment. Their presence in drinking

Action Level: The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements that a water system must follow. The action level is not based on one sample; instead, it is based on many samples.

Alkalinity: A measure of the water’s ability to resist changes in the pH level and a good indicator of overall water quality. Although there is no health risk from alkalinity, we monitor it to check our treatment processes.

E. coli (Escherichia coli): A type of coliform bacteria that is associated with human and animal fecal waste.

gpg (grains per gallon): A unit of water hardness. One grain per gallon is equal to 17.1 parts per million.

MCL (Maximum Contaminant Level): The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology.

MCLG (Maximum Contaminant Level Goal): The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.

mg/L (Milligrams per liter): One milligram per liter is equal to one part per million.

MRDL (Maximum Residual Disinfection Level): The highest level of disinfectant that is allowed in drinking water. The addition of a disinfectant is necessary for the control of microbial contaminants.

MRDLG (Maximum Residual Disinfection Level Goal): The level of a disinfectant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contaminants.

Minimum Residual Disinfectant Level: The minimum level of residual disinfectant required at the entry point to the distribution system.

NTU (nephelometric turbidity units): Turbidity is measured with an instrument called a nephelometer. Measurements are given in nephelometric turbidity units.

Pathogens: Bacteria, virus, or other microorganisms that can cause disease.

pCi/L (Picocuries per liter):

A measure of radioactivity.

ppm (parts per million): Denotes 1 part per 1,000,000 parts, which is equivalent to two thirds of a gallon in an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

ppb (parts per billion): Denotes 1 part per 1,000,000,000 parts, which is equivalent to half a teaspoon in an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

μg/L (Microgram per liter):

One microgram per liter is equal to one part per billion.

ppt (parts per trillion): Denotes 1 part per 1,000,000,000,000 parts, which is equivalent to one drop in 20 Olympic- sized swimming pools.

SOC (Synthetic Organic Chemical): Commercially made organic compounds, such as pesticides and herbicides.

water may indicate that other potentially harmful bacteria are also present.

THAAs (Total Haloacetic Acids): A group of chemicals known as disinfection byproducts. These form when a disinfectant reacts with naturally occurring organic and inorganic matter in the water.

TOC (Total Organic Carbon):

A measure of the carbon content of organic matter. This measure is used to indicate the amount of organic material in the water that could potentially react with a disinfectant to form disinfection byproducts.

TTHMs (Total Trihalomethanes): A group of chemicals known as disinfection byproducts. These form when a disinfectant reacts with naturally occurring organic and inorganic matter in the water.

Treatment Technique: A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.

Turbidity: A measure of the clarity of water related to its particle content. Turbidity serves as an indicator for the effectiveness of the water treatment process. Low turbidity measurements, such as ours, show the significant removal of particles that are much smaller than can be seen by the naked eye.

VOC (Volatile Organic Chemicals): Organic chemicals that can be either man-made or naturally occurring. These include gases and volatile liquids.

WTP: Water Treatment Plant

How do I get my water tested?

We offer free lead and copper tests for residential customers who have concerns about their water.

• To request an appointment
  Call (215) 685-6300

How hard is Philadelphia’s water?

Philadelphia’s water is considered moderately hard. Hardness depends on the treatment plant that serves your area of the city.

• See A Closer Look at Hardness
  Page 9

Why do water utilities add fluoride to water?

It’s a natural element that helps prevent cavities. Philadelphia’s Health Department (and dentists) recommend we add fluoride to a level that helps protect children’s teeth.

Why does water have an earthy flavor sometimes?

Earthy or musty flavors occur naturally in drinking water and are among the most commonly reported worldwide. When certain algae-type organisms grow in our rivers, detectable levels of these odors can make their way into the treated drinking water.

These natural compounds have no known health effects at their natural levels, and are found in various foods.

We take steps to reduce their presence when detected.

Can I replace a lead service line?

Yes. If you don’t want to contact a plumber directly, apply for our Homeowners Emergency Loan Program (HELP).

A zero-interest loan can cover the cost of replacement.

• Learn more & apply www.phila.gov/water/helploan

Also: PWD will replace lead service lines for free if they are discovered during planned work on water mains.

Keep trash out of our waterways. Make sure to put your recyclable paper, metal, and plastics in a recycling bin, and disposable gloves, masks, food waste, and other garbage in a trash can,

so they don’t end up in our rivers and streams.

Don’t flush anything but toilet paper – even “flushable” wipes. They don’t dissolve like toilet paper and can lead to clogs and backups, causing waste to flow into our homes and our streets.

Always properly recycle or dispose of household hazardous wastes. Don’t flush them down the toilet or down the sink, and don’t pour them into storm drains. Many storm drains flow directly to our streams and rivers.

Join a cleanup. 

Group cleanups help remove trash and litter from our waterways.

To learn about upcoming cleanups, keep an eye on the @PhillyH2O Blog and social media, email waterinfo@phila.gov, or call (215) 685-6300.

Sign up for email or text message updates from PWD to get the latest news, useful information, and find out about upcoming events. You can also sign up for email and text alerts at phillyh2o.info/signup.

Take a tour. Tour a water treatment plant to learn more about how we test and treat our water, or visit Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) sites to learn how Philadelphia is using GSI to keep our water cleaner and make our city greener. To schedule a tour, email waterinfo@phila.gov.

• Check out the Fairmount
  Water Works Interpretive Center for educational programming and resources on topics from our water infrastructure, watersheds, and local native wildlife to STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math).