Infrastructure

Based on data collected by our Bureau of Laboratory Services throughout 2017, the annual report details test results showing that Philadelphia’s drinking water meets or is better than all state and federal water quality standards......

If you’ve been considering getting a wood downspout planter for your home through Philadelphia’s Rain Check program, now is the time to act! Beginning on July 1, 2018, the participant cost for the wood downspout planter will increase...

Do you know where your home water meter is and how it works? It might be tucked away in the basement, but it plays an import role in our water system. Knowing how to get the most out your meter can help you avoid a large, unexpected bill caused by a running toilet or other hard-to-notice leaks....

For the Philadelphia Water Department, it’s always “Time to Build”—the theme of Infrastructure Week 2018. Every day, our workers are busy maintaining critical water infrastructure through repairs, replacements, and major new projects....

The sixth-annual Infrastructure Week, a national effort to highlight the importance of maintaining and improving the pipes, treatment plants, roads, bridges, runways, communications systems, and other shared resources that make modern society possible kicked off on Monday, May 14 and runs through May 21...

Rain Check—our program best known for providing City residents with free rain barrels—is entering its sixth year with a new website designed to encourage more home landscaping projects that protect local waterways. By visiting the new Rain Check site, residents can now get a jumpstart on sustainable projects in the new year by discovering the best green upgrade for their property......

Following the 2017 Philadelphia Marathon, Philadelphia Water Department crews shut down and winterized all four Schuylkill River Trail water stations located between the Falls Bridge and Fairmount Water Works. The much-used features—offering fountains, bottle filling stations and ground-level bowls for dog walkers—are taken offline each winter to guard against freezing temperatures......

The arrival of chilly nights means it's time to make sure your pipes are protected from cold winter temps that can cause frozen or burst pipes in your home or on your property. While most plumbing is deep enough underground or insulated well enough within your home to avoid freezing, water meters and water service lines can freeze when the temperature drops below 32 degrees in some cases......

Philadelphia residents have 24/7 access to top-quality water, a fact that they check themselves thanks to annual reports the Philadelphia Water Department releases detailing a year's worth of data. This transparency is a defining quality for public water providers like PWD, and we take pride in the tremendous effort that goes into the constant monitoring done at our labs......

Beneath your feet, there's an invisible universe of infrastructure. This world is hidden from view, but painted lines on the surface reveal exactly what's there—if you know what to look for......