PHILADELPHIA WATER DEPARTMENT: EPA violation history, explained
PHILADELPHIA WATER DEPARTMENT has a health-based violation on record, but none in the last five years - an older issue, not necessarily a current one. Population served: 1,600,000, over 524,021 connections.
Ranked against every other system in this dataset
Out of 12,903 systems in this dataset, PHILADELPHIA WATER DEPARTMENT ranks 1,317th by violation burden (90th percentile) - 68 violations total, 14 health-baseds.
Against the PA average
PHILADELPHIA WATER DEPARTMENT's 14 health-based violations sit above the PA average of 5.5, across 475 systems statewide. The filter guide explains what a violation like this actually calls for.
Most recent violation on record
PHILADELPHIA WATER DEPARTMENT's most recent violation on record is dated 2026-01-03, with the most recent health-based one dated 2010-01-11. Last reported to EPA: 06/15/2026.
The concern categories on record
PHILADELPHIA WATER DEPARTMENT's flagged contaminants and rule violations, grouped by what they actually mean for a filter choice rather than left as EPA's raw code list:
- Microbial contamination / treatment technique - flagged from: Surface Water Treatment Rule
- Synthetic organic chemicals / pesticides / VOCs - flagged from: CARBON, TOTAL
The most severe category on record is microbial contamination / treatment technique, which points toward a microbial-class filter if you want to address it directly.
What PHILADELPHIA WATER DEPARTMENT's record does not cover
PHILADELPHIA WATER DEPARTMENT's numbers here come from its own required reporting to EPA under the Safe Drinking Water Act, not from an independent test of your glass of water. Water quality can still change between the meter and the faucet - household plumbing sits outside what a record of 68 logged violations can see. The guide to what this data misses covers that gap.