Rate Changes Effective September 2021
Photos: JPG Photo & Video, Sahar Coston Hardy © PWD
We Are Fixing Water Billing Error
As a result of an August 3, 2021 data error in our billing process, a number of water customers recently received bills showing incorrect water usage readings for the past month, and incorrect bill amounts. We are aware of the error, and apologize for the distress it may have caused customers. Customers are not responsible […]
6th and Bainbridge Water Main break
Early on the morning of July 25th, at approximately 12:30 am, the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) was called to the intersection of 6th and Bainbridge for reports of a large, 30” water main break. Our crews arrived on scene at approximately 1:00 am and began the work to shut down the water main. Over the […]
Schedule your New Water Connection (3″ or Larger)
For connections 3″ or larger: Complete and submit a New Water Connection Request form when ready for new service (see image at right). Please anticipate a 4-6 week lead time from the date of your request to the date of installation. ▶ To schedule your connection: Complete the New Water Connection Request Form, provided, with […]
Philadelphia Water Rates Set for September 2021 Following Approval of Settlement by Independent Rate Board
Philadelphia Water Department customers will see changes in water, sewer, and stormwater rates reflected in monthly bills effective September 1, 2021. Following a more than six-month hearing process which included an extensive independent review, four online public hearings, a technical hearing, and substantial public comment opportunities, the Philadelphia Water, Sewer and Storm Water Rate Board […]
Rate Request to be Lowered Through Proposed Settlement
In January 2021, PWD filed its rate request with the Water Rate Board for $141 million, in additional revenues for Fiscal Years 2022 and 2023. As a result of their negotiation, the Public Advocate and PWD reached a proposed settlement in April 2021. If approved by the Rate Board, this change will not eliminate the need […]
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. […]
Extreme cold: Prepare for water emergencies, frozen pipes
Whenever below-freezing temperatures are forecasted for more than 48 hours in a row, customers should protect their pipes from freezing and be prepared for potential water main breaks: Avoiding Frozen Pipes What to Do if You Have No Water in Winter Water Emergencies: What to Know If you see water in the street or believe […]
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 […]