Overview
- Philadelphia’s combined sewers discharged an average of 12.7 billion gallons of sewage-laden stormwater each year from 2016 to 2024, the report says.
- Five Philadelphia waterways each saw at least one overflow on roughly 65 days per year on average, reflecting widespread and recurring events across the city’s 164 outfalls.
- Camden County systems overflowed an average of 76 days per year, with the highest-frequency outfalls releasing on 118 and 94 days annually, though gaps in local data limit total volume estimates.
- Waterways can remain unsafe for up to 72 hours after an overflow, which the analysis estimates could leave local rivers and creeks unsafe for recreation as much as 195 days per year.
- The authors cite a roughly 16% decline in overflow volume per inch of rain but call current plans insufficient, urging hard deadlines and new financing as Philadelphia also faces an EPA ammonia rule PWD estimates would cost $3.6 billion and add about $265 to annual household bills.