Port Richmond Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

Port Richmond, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — a major northeast Philadelphia historic working-class neighborhood (Port Richmond is a significant Philadelphia neighborhood — a northeast Philadelphia riverfront community along the Delaware River adjacent to Kensington and Bridesburg; Port Richmond is one of the most quintessentially Polish-American neighborhoods in the United States — the community's Polish Catholic churches (especially St. Adalbert's and St. John Cantius), Polish-American clubs, and Polish commercial establishments along Richmond Street make Port Richmond one of the most intact Polish-American ethnic neighborhoods in the country; Port Richmond has maintained its Polish-American character more fully than almost any other historically Polish-American urban neighborhood in the Northeast)), a diverse Philadelphia County community with a primarily Polish-American and increasingly Hispanic-American working-class population (Port Richmond's traditional Polish-American community is now mixing with a rapidly growing Latino-American population that has moved into the neighborhood), adjacent to Kensington and Fishtown in the northeast Philadelphia corridor — draws its municipal water supply via the Philadelphia Water Department. Water hardness in Port Richmond measures 186.5 mg/L — classified as hard.

Port Richmond's hard supply reflects the northeast Philadelphia Delaware River watershed supply's distribution characteristics. The Philadelphia Water Department distributes blended Delaware and Schuylkill River supply to the northeast Philadelphia Port Richmond zone, producing the hard 186.5 mg/L.

At 186.5 mg/L, Port Richmond residents face regular hard water challenges. Monthly descaling and water softeners are recommended. Philadelphia Water Department consistently delivers water meeting all Pennsylvania DEP and EPA Safe Drinking Water Act requirements.