Philadelphia water by treatment plant

Philadelphia Water Department treats water at three plants. Its 2025 report says the city's water is moderately hard or hard depending on your service area.

Which one serves my home?

PWD's 2025 report has a service-area map split by Market and Broad Streets and an address lookup that shows where your water is treated.

Baxter plant (Delaware River)

Baxter serves the Northeast, the Far Northeast and much of North Philadelphia. Source: Philadelphia Water Department 2025 Drinking Water Quality Report.

• Average 101 ppm (6 grains per gallon), range 72-121 ppm for hardness, Baxter plant, 2025 report year. Source: 2025 Drinking Water Quality Report – Philadelphia Water Department (Hardness in Tap Water table).

The published figure here is 101 mg/L, which reads as moderately hard on the USGS scale.

Queen Lane plant (Schuylkill River)

Queen Lane serves Northwest Philadelphia. Source: Philadelphia Water Department 2025 Drinking Water Quality Report.

• Average 169 ppm (10 grains per gallon), range 119-270 ppm for hardness, Queen Lane plant, 2025 report year. Source: 2025 Drinking Water Quality Report – Philadelphia Water Department (Hardness in Tap Water table).

The published figure here is 169 mg/L, which reads as hard on the USGS scale.

Belmont plant (Schuylkill River)

Belmont serves everything west of the Schuylkill River, though most of that area also gets some Baxter and Queen Lane water. Source: Philadelphia Water Department 2025 Drinking Water Quality Report.

• Average 151 ppm (9 grains per gallon), range 99-204 ppm for hardness, Belmont plant, 2025 report year. Source: 2025 Drinking Water Quality Report – Philadelphia Water Department (Hardness in Tap Water table).

The published figure here is 151 mg/L, which reads as hard on the USGS scale.

South Philadelphia and Center City

South Philadelphia, Center City and the areas where the Baxter and Queen Lane service areas meet get a mix of water from both plants. Source: Philadelphia Water Department 2025 Drinking Water Quality Report.

• Average 101 ppm (6 grains per gallon), range 72-121 ppm for hardness, Baxter plant, 2025 report year. Source: 2025 Drinking Water Quality Report – Philadelphia Water Department (Hardness in Tap Water table).
• Average 169 ppm (10 grains per gallon), range 119-270 ppm for hardness, Queen Lane plant, 2025 report year. Source: 2025 Drinking Water Quality Report – Philadelphia Water Department (Hardness in Tap Water table).

Published figures here run from 101 to 169 mg/L, which reads as moderately hard to hard on the USGS scale.

Across the 4 Philadelphia areas above, the figures run 101 to 169 mg/L, which spans USGS classes from moderately hard to hard. Each is a plant, well or area figure, not a reading at one address. (USGS hardness classes)

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Sources last checked October 27, 2026. Philadelphia Water Systems is not a water utility.