United States Last reviewed: August 28, 2026

Pennsylvania Tap Water Quality

Q: Is tap water safe to drink in Pennsylvania?

Yes: Philadelphia and Pittsburgh both meet all federal standards, Pittsburgh having driven lead well below action levels since 2020 after its replacement program.

Q: What happened with Pittsburgh's lead crisis?

A 2014 corrosion-control change (made without approval) preceded rising lead readings; after enforcement and public pressure, PWSA replaced 10,000+ lines, restored orthophosphate, and now posts some of its best-ever results.

Q: Which Pennsylvania areas dealt with PFAS first?

The Willow Grove/Warminster area north of Philadelphia, where Navy and Air Guard foam contaminated public wells: local utilities set zero-detection goals and installed treatment nearly a decade before federal limits.

about 1,900

Community water systems

City reports on this site

Tracked contaminants

August 28, 2026

Data reviewed

Check a Pennsylvania ZIP Code

Overview

Philadelphia treats Delaware and Schuylkill river water at three plants with a solid compliance record; Pittsburgh's PWSA emerged from its 2016-2019 lead crisis with replaced lines, orthophosphate treatment, and readings now well below action levels. Pennsylvania American Water and hundreds of authorities cover the rest.

The state carries heavy legacies: among the nation's largest lead service line inventories, PFAS clusters in the Philadelphia suburbs (Willow Grove and Warminster military sites drove some of the country's earliest municipal PFAS responses), abandoned-mine drainage staining thousands of stream miles, and private-well country with no statewide construction standards.

Common Contaminants in Pennsylvania

Lead from service lines

Pittsburgh's turnaround is the model case; Philadelphia and the older boroughs continue large replacement programs

PFAS

Bucks/Montgomery county plumes from military foam made Horsham, Warminster, and Warrington early adopters of zero-tolerance treatment; state limits adopted 2023

Abandoned-mine drainage

Acidic, metal-laden drainage affects streams and some small-source watersheds in coal country

Violations & Compliance

The major systems comply; Pittsburgh's lead exceedances ended after treatment and replacement. Pennsylvania's long tail of small systems and its million-plus unregulated private wells shape most remaining risk.