The Safety of Philly's Tap Water During a Chemical Spill

Philadelphia Water Department officials were unable to switch to a clean water source to serve much of the city if a key water treatment plant became contaminated during a recent chemical spill. The incident highlights the need for infrastructure investments in drinking water and other infrastructure in the US. Achieving full redundancy within a drinking water system is difficult and expensive, but Philadelphia is striving for it with its 25-year Water Revitalization Plan, which includes several projects that would allow the Water Department to serve the entire city with water from just the Schuylkill River or just the Delaware River, indefinitely.