City of Philadelphia

This website looks at the domestic water issues of the United States. However, we did not want to leave out Philadelphia, a major city in America, and a region that is extremely close to where we go to school. What water issues could be occurring in the City of Brotherly Love? In this section of the site, we chose to study not necessarily the problems that the city faces, but their innovative methods, and how Philadelphia is working to remain at the forefront in water infrastructure management.

Philadelphia was one of the first major industrial cities in the United States. Dating back more than 200 years, the city has been credited with being the first to have water and wastewater management systems. Today, there are nearly 3,000 miles of sewers, 80,000 stormwater inlets and countless water treatment centers. Philadelphia’s water supply serves a 130-square mile region. The average age of the infrastructure throughout the city is 78 years old; these lines usually last 100 years. Philadelphia has done a great job in keeping up with replacements when needed. More impressive than their upkeep are their innovative ways to remain at the forefront of water infrastructure.

A map of the City of Philadelphia

A map showing where Philadelphia is located. Courtesy of USA.gov

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