We Care – Customer Assistance
Now there are even more ways to get help with your water bill. Don’t wait to apply for assistance!
Rate Change Hearings in March
Facing financial impacts from the pandemic and costs that were rising even before the crisis, we filed a formal request for a rate change last month. If approved, water bills for residential customers would increase by 11.6% in September 2021 and 5.3% the following September. For a typical resident using 3,740 gallons a month, the bill would […]
Shutoff Freeze: Residents Protected Until April 2022
The Philadelphia Water Department is again extending a freeze on shutoffs for residential customers, protecting those account holders from losing water services until April 2022. Since the start of the pandemic, more than 70,000 customers have benefitted from shutoff protection. Another 15,000 previously shut off customers had water restored at the start of the pandemic. […]
Grants from State Help Philly Fund Big Pollution Control Projects
The Philadelphia Water Department is moving forward on a big-ticket, sustainable infrastructure project unlike any seen since federal funding helped the city expand wastewater treatment and meet new Clean Water Act standards in the 1980s. Construction of the new $100 million preliminary treatment building was green-lighted thanks to a low-interest loan awarded by the Pennsylvania […]
Protecting Customers During COVID Lockdown
Due to ongoing economic hardship created by the COVID-19 pandemic: We will not shut off customers unable to pay water bills until April 1st, 2021. Penalties and fees on delinquent accounts are waived until further notice. However, your past-due total will continue to grow with each missed payment. Don’t wait until you have a big debt […]
See Our Statement on the Dangers of Swimming in Philadelphia
Because of the health and safety concerns that come with swimming and any recreation that involves immersion in water, the Philadelphia Water Department does not recommend swimming in any river or creek in Philadelphia. In response to efforts to change the current recreation status of the Delaware River to allow for swimming within the city, […]
COVID-19 Impacts on PWD Capital Program
Due to the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Philadelphia Water Department is postponing many capital projects for the foreseeable future. Read the full statement
COVID-19 Update: Drinking Water Is Safe, Won’t Be Shut Off
The Philadelphia Water Department is taking all necessary measures to ensure continued delivery of safe drinking water and wastewater treatment services as City officials respond to the COVID-19 emergency. We have suspended water shutoffs and are waiving fees. To avoid loss of water due to main replacement, we have also suspended new construction. Please see […]
Read the PWD Position Statement on the Environmental Working Group’s PFAS Report
The subject of national attention due to concerns about potential health impacts, PFAS is a family of substances that have been widely used for decades in industry and consumer goods. We take protecting the water we provide to residents of Philadelphia, including our own families and neighbors, seriously. Please see our information on managing these […]
Drinking Water Master Plan Released
The Philadelphia Water Department recently completed its Drinking Water Master Plan. For the first time, residents can see a 25-year, $2.5 billion strategic vision for upgrading and expanding Philadelphia’s core infrastructure and protecting the top-quality water we depend on well into the next century. Read the Plan