Clean, safe water starts at the source.

During Source Water Protection Week, learn how Philadelphia's drinking water protection starts at the beginning of its journey.

We're celebrating the American Water Works Association's Source Water Protection Week! Philadelphia's drinking water protection starts at its source. The water we treat for you comes from the Delaware River Watershed, which extends hundreds of miles beyond our city — all the way to New York State.  Local creeks and stream flow to our two rivers — the Delaware and the Schuylkill, our drinking water sources. Then water goes through our facilities for a careful treatment process.

Our work at the source is keeping water safe in your community:

Research: We study regional influences like natural gas drilling, and global influences like sea level rise. Non-stop monitoring: We protect against runoff pollution and watch for water concerns upstream. Partnerships: We team up with organizations across the region to safeguard our entire watershed.

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Our Watershed Protection Program

Our Watershed Protection Program’s proactive approach to protecting your water involves monitoring water quality at multiple steps, and includes sampling in our rivers and creeks, emergency preparedness systems, public and private communication networks, computer modeling systems, laboratories, regional and national partnerships, and the development and implementation of formal plans that guide watershed protection efforts and infrastructure investment.

Get the details about the technology, planning, partnerships, and public communication tools we use, and learn about what we are doing about issues like PFAS management and microplastics on our Watershed Protection Program page.

Coming next: Meet your Treatment Plant!

This email is part of a new series highlighting sections of our latest Water Quality Report, The digital campaign follows your drinking water's journey from the source to your tap.