@Philly H2O Blog

Community

Projects and partners in our neighborhoods.

What do the Service Line Material Letters and Map mean for you?: The story of crafting and sharing lead plumbing communications in Philadelphia

January 5, 2026  |  Grace Maiorano & Rick Orlosky
A young woman reads a letter with a laptop computer in the background

In December, you may have received a letter from us, sharing information about the material of your property’s water service line. Though our tap water remains safe to drink, it may feel confusing – and even alarming – to receive this notification in the mail. Here’s the story behind these federally required communications.

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2024 – 2025 Stormwater Grant Awardees Announced!: A variety of Philadelphia institutions will receive funding for new green stormwater infrastructure retrofits.

July 28, 2025  |  Grace Maiorano

From a historic cemetery to a flamingo habitat, an assortment of local sites will receive green infrastructure – thanks to the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD). Every year, we grant non-residential properties with funding to install new green stormwater infrastructure (GSI). We’re thrilled to share 11 new properties accepting this well-established award to improve local waterways. […]

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What a Decade of Surveying Residents Taught us about Water and Trust in Philadelphia: 2025 Survey open now!

June 30, 2025  |  ImpactED at the University of Penn

For nearly a decade, the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) has been asking a simple but essential question: What do residents think about their water service? Every year since 2016, in partnership with ImpactED at the University of Pennsylvania, PWD has surveyed thousands of Philadelphians — from every zip code and neighborhood — to learn how […]

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Water Women: We may not all wear capes, but the women of PWD are all heroes to us

March 31, 2025  |  Michelle Bailey

Closing out Women’s History Month, meet Barbara, René and Amy: three women working at PWD, making a difference everyday and doing extraordinary things in their careers. Barbara Pickett 11 years at PWD Engineering Supervisor Collector Systems Engineering Unit What is something that people would find interesting about the job that you do at PWD? My […]

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What Black History Month Means at PWD

February 21, 2025  |  Michelle Bailey

We have the pleasure of featuring four Philadelphia Water Department employees for Black History Month. We asked them to share their stories about working at PWD, things they have learned during their careers, and what Black History means to them.

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2024 PWD Customer Survey Now Open!: Take it for a chance to win a $100 gift card!

July 23, 2024  |  PWD Public Affairs

We value Philadelphians’ experiences with our services. Since our work is funded by your water bills, PWD prioritizes providing you with quality drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, and other services. For the 9th consecutive year, we’re distributing our annual customer survey – a project made possible with support from ImpactedEd at the University of Pennsylvania. Every […]

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4 Dos and 2 (Please) Don’ts to Beat the Heat this Summer in Philadelphia: Check out ways to have a fun, safe, and very cool summer in the city!

July 8, 2024  |  Eddie Borrelli

Summer is here and with it brings plenty of sunshine, time with friends, and fun adventures in and around the city. But it can also bring excessive heat that can derail anyone’s day, and even health if you’re not careful. Philly has plenty of ways to stay cool this summer, so read on to learn […]

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2023 – 2024 Stormwater Grant Awardees Announced: Local properties will receive funding for new green stormwater infrastructure retrofits.

June 27, 2024  |  Grace Maiorano

For over a decade, dozens of non-residential properties – spanning from schools to businesses – have taken advantage of our Stormwater Grants program. Through this signature PWD resource, we help properties spruce up their spaces and reduce water bills – all while reducing combined sewer overflow pollution in our creeks and rivers. We’re excited to […]

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