PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Last year was a good one for Philadelphia water. The Water Department released its annual report on Wednesday and said it made progress in some key areas in 2025.
One big step forward, according to the report, was the introduction of fresh water into the Manayunk Canal. For decades, the canal was stagnant, often smelly, and hostile to wildlife — not to mention walkers and bikers.
Watershed protection manager Matt Fritch said the reopening of the Flat Rock dam last June improved the look and smell of the water, brought back birds and fish, and may have even slightly improved the taste of the water.
“This was a stagnant body of water. In the summer, there were frequent algal blooms. These algal blooms can affect the taste and odor of drinking water. It gives it an earthy, musty smell that is difficult to treat,” he said. “Now that the water is flowing and the canal is preventing algae from forming, we may see some positive impacts to our drinking water.”
The report said another area of improvement was in the treatment of forever chemicals, called PFAS; they never break down but accumulate in water and the human body, and can cause health problems.
Environmental engineer Tyler Bradley said the Water Department is trying new ways to reduce PFAS.
“We are exploring a novel approach using powder-activated carbon that we already use at some of our plants for taste and odor concerns,” he said.
The report also documented improvement in reducing lead in water using zinc orthophosphate, which prevents corrosion in lead plumbing.
One thing that’s not going away is the chlorine smell.
“That smell is there because of the way we treat our water, and it is key to how we ensure we are providing safe drinking water to our customers,” Bradley said. The department uses chloramine — a combination of chlorine and ammonia — to kill bacteria.
One big contributing factor was introduction of fresh water to Manayunk Canal
One big contributing factor was introduction of fresh water to Manayunk Canal
