Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania — public water systems
At a glance
6 active public water systems are filed under Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania in EPA's SDWIS records, together reporting 1,601,175 people served. The largest is Philadelphia Water Department, which reports serving 1,600,000 people. 1 is a community water system serving people where they live; the other 5 are non-community systems, such as schools, workplaces, campgrounds and gas stations with their own supply.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO, refreshed quarterly.
Active systems
6
Population served
1.6M
Community systems
1
Groundwater share
16.7%
How does Philadelphia County compare with other Pennsylvania counties?
Philadelphia County has the 68th-most active public water systems among the 99 counties listed for active Pennsylvania systems in EPA records; among the 71 with 3 or more systems, the median has 76. Its systems report 1,601,175 people served in total, the 2nd-largest county figure in the state and 13% of the statewide total. The average system here reports serving 266,863 people, about 153 times the Pennsylvania average of 1,741. Population figures are what each system reports; people served by more than one system, such as a wholesaler and the town that buys from it, are counted by each.
Where does Philadelphia County's drinking water come from?
By primary water source, Philadelphia County's active systems draw on purchased surface water (4, 67%), surface water (1, 17%) and groundwater (1, 17%). Overall, 17% rely mainly on groundwater (including purchased groundwater) and 83% on surface water, compared with 93% and 6.8% across Pennsylvania. Purchased surface water means the system buys surface water from another public water system rather than drawing its own. The county's largest system, Philadelphia Water Department, draws primarily on surface water.
What kinds of water systems operate in Philadelphia County?
Philadelphia County's active systems break down as 1 community systems (17%), 2 non-transient non-community systems (33%) and 3 transient non-community systems (50%). A community water system serves at least 15 connections used by year-round residents, or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents. Homes, apartments and mobile-home parks are served by these. A non-transient non-community water system regularly serves at least 25 of the same people for more than six months a year, but not where they live. Schools, factories, office buildings and hospitals with their own supply are typical examples. A transient non-community water system serves places where people do not stay long, such as gas stations and campgrounds, and regularly serves at least 25 people a day for at least 60 days a year. EPA lists their owner types as private (67%), local government (17%) and public/private partnership (17%).
Water systems in Philadelphia County
🔒 Create a free account to export CSV| # | Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Philadelphia Water Department | Philadelphia | 1,600,000 | Community | Surface water |
| 2 | Thomas Jefferson Univ Hospital | Philadelphia | 1,000 | Non-transient non-community | Purchased surface water |
| 3 | Schuylkill Center for Env Edu | Philadelphia | 100 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
| 4 | Nu Water LLC | Philadelphia | 25 | Transient non-community | Purchased surface water |
| 5 | Philly Water Works | Philadelphia | 25 | Transient non-community | Purchased surface water |
| 6 | Pure Water 2 Go | Philadelphia | 25 | Transient non-community | Purchased surface water |
Philadelphia County water systems: frequently asked questions
How many public water systems are in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania?
EPA's SDWIS records file 6 active public water systems under Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania: 1 community systems (17%), 2 non-transient non-community systems (33%) and 3 transient non-community systems (50%).
Who supplies drinking water in Philadelphia County, PA?
The largest community water system filed under Philadelphia County is Philadelphia Water Department (1,600,000 people served). Which system serves a particular address depends on its service area, which EPA's SDWIS records do not include; a water bill or the local utility can confirm it.
Does Philadelphia County's drinking water come from groundwater or surface water?
Of the 6 active public water systems in Philadelphia County, 17% draw mainly on groundwater and 83% on surface water, counting purchased supplies. The largest system, Philadelphia Water Department, uses surface water.
Where can I find a water quality report for Philadelphia County?
Each community water system must deliver an annual water quality report, called a Consumer Confidence Report, to its customers by July 1, covering the previous calendar year. 1 community system is filed under Philadelphia County, so the report to look for is the one from the system that supplies your address.
How can I check violations for a water system in Philadelphia County?
Open the system's profile from the list on this page. Each profile shows the most recent Safe Drinking Water Act violations in EPA's records, with plain-English labels and whether each one is resolved. For current compliance status, EPA ECHO is the primary source.
More Pennsylvania water systems
- All Pennsylvania public water systems· 7,217 active
- Montour County· 20 systems
- Cameron County· 14 systems
- Cecil County· 9 systems
- Greene County· 7 systems
- Harris County· 5 systems
- Garrett County· 4 systems
- How to find out who supplies your drinking water
- How to find and read your annual water quality report
About this data
Source: U.S. EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and SDWA violation records, via EPA ECHO, as published October 1, 2026 — AquaCensus refreshes it quarterly. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: AquaCensus, “Public water systems in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/pennsylvania/philadelphia (data as of October 1, 2026).