Fishtown Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

Fishtown, Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia County — a Philadelphia County neighborhood adjacent to Northern Liberties and Port Richmond on the Delaware River in north Philadelphia — receives its municipal water from the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD), drawing from the Delaware River at the Baxter Water Treatment Plant (PWD's primary Delaware River source, serving north Philadelphia including Fishtown).

The hard 180 mg/L hardness and TDS of 420.1 mg/L reflect the Philadelphia Delaware River supply's strong carbonate character — somewhat softer than the Schuylkill-dominant south Philadelphia zones (Lower Moyamensing: 202.5 mg/L), consistent with the Delaware River's slightly different upper watershed versus the highly calcareous upper Schuylkill. The Delaware River drains the Appalachian Plateau and New Jersey Highlands — Ordovician Nittany Dolomite (calcareous), Triassic Brunswick Formation calcareous redbeds, and Cambrian Kittatinny Limestone.

At 180 mg/L, Fishtown's water is hard — scale builds steadily in kettles and appliances, dishwashers benefit from rinse aid, and water heaters should be descaled annually. Monthly descaling is recommended. The PFAS level of 9.2 ppt warrants a certified reverse osmosis drinking water filter — the Philadelphia Naval Yard (south Philadelphia — AFFF), the Delaware River PFAS legacy from the Delaware Valley industrial complex, and the Schuylkill-Delaware watershed PFAS contribute to Fishtown's elevated readings.