BCWSA MAIN LOWER SOUTH vs PHILADELPHIA WATER DEPARTMENT
Water quality comparison — risk levels, violations, PFAS records, and contaminants
Quick Answer
Both utilities share the same risk level (safe). BCWSA MAIN LOWER SOUTH has 0 open health-based violations and 464 PFAS records. PHILADELPHIA WATER DEPARTMENT has 0 open health-based violations and 348 PFAS records.
Pennsylvania · PA1090079
No Concerns Detected
Water meets all safety standards with no detected exceedances.
0
Open violations
464
PFAS records
Pennsylvania · PA1510001
No Concerns Detected
Water meets all safety standards with no detected exceedances.
0
Open violations
348
PFAS records
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Metric | BCWSA MAIN LOWER SOUTH | PHILADELPHIA WATER DEPARTMENT |
|---|---|---|
| State | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania |
| Risk Level | No Concerns Detected | No Concerns Detected |
| Population Served | 52,621 | 1,600,000 |
| Open Health Violations | 0 | 0 |
| Total Violations | 30 | 8 |
| PFAS Records | 464 | 348 |
| Ownership | Local | Local |
| Service Type | Surface water | Surface water |
| City Served | — | Philadelphia |
Contaminants in Violation Records
BCWSA MAIN LOWER SOUTH
- Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
- Nitrate
- Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)
- Coliform (TCR)
PHILADELPHIA WATER DEPARTMENT
- Nitrate
Key Differences
BCWSA MAIN LOWER SOUTH has 464 PFAS records vs. 348 for PHILADELPHIA WATER DEPARTMENT.
What Should I Do?
If either utility shows open violations or elevated PFAS records, consider:
- Installing a reverse osmosis filter — removes PFAS, lead, arsenic, nitrates, and most heavy metals.
- Requesting your utility’s annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) for the most current test results.
- Ordering a certified lab water test if you want contaminant-specific data for your address.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is safer — BCWSA MAIN LOWER SOUTH or PHILADELPHIA WATER DEPARTMENT?
Both utilities share the same risk level (safe). Both utilities have similar violation profiles — review the full data above to decide based on specific contaminants that concern you.
What does "open health-based violation" mean?
An open health-based violation means a water system has exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) or failed to meet a treatment technique — and the violation has not yet been resolved. These are the most serious type of water quality violations.
How current is this data?
Violation data comes from EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), which is updated as utilities report. PFAS data comes from EPA's UCMR 5 monitoring (2023–2025). Risk levels are recalculated daily.
What does PWSID mean?
PWSID stands for Public Water System ID — a unique federal identifier assigned to each community water system. You can use it to look up a system in EPA's ECHO database.