Boil Water Advisory In West Philadelphia Lifted

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Water Department has ended the boil water advisory announced Sunday night for parts of upper West Philadelphia.

Customers can resume normal water use without boiling, effective immediately.

The advisory is being lifted after sampling that was conducted at drinking water taps in the affected areas on Sunday and Monday found no evidence of harmful bacteria, and all samples showed normal water quality.

The sampling plan and end of the boil water notice have been approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

"Customers can feel confident their water is safe to use like they always would without any need to boil before using for drinking, brushing teeth, making formula, and all other uses," said Philadelphia Water Department Commissioner Randy E. Hayman. "We greatly appreciate the patience of customers and the support from City Council members and other officials who helped get the word out during the advisory. While laboratory testing found that the water was not compromised by the low pressure, under state and federal regulations it was necessary to put out the advisory and conduct testing. We are 100 percent committed to public health and the safety of our communities."

Customers can get more information at online here or by calling 215-685-6300.

On Sunday, a pump failure shortly before 4 p.m. created a loss of pressure at a pumping station that serves parts of upper West Philadelphia.

This created conditions where there was a risk for contaminated water to enter the water system and customer plumbing.

The Water Department immediately began restoring system pressure and water service. Crews also flushed the water system thoroughly.

Following state Department of Environmental Protection regulations, staff with the Department’s Bureau of Laboratory Services tested finished drinking water from customer and public taps in the area that lost pressure and found no evidence of contamination.

About 18,000 customer accounts were in the impacted area. Customers were notified through media, web and social media, outreach to local officials, targeted reverse-911 calls, and text messages and emails sent by the Water Department and Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management.

The cause of the pumping failure is still being investigated.