@Philly H2O Blog

Community

Projects and partners in our neighborhoods.







PWD Unit Spotlight: Load Control

January 20, 2026  |  Michelle Bailey

It’s a name that doesn’t exactly grab your attention – it isn’t flashy and it doesn’t imply a high-stakes endeavor. But if the Philadelphia Water Department’s drinking water system had a heart, it would be the Load Control unit, hands down.

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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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