Tap Water Troubles: Philadelphia's Ongoing Struggle with Contaminants Philadelphia's tap water woes persist despite the city's best efforts to address them.
The latest consumer confidence report from the Philadelphia Water Department shows that most regulated contaminants meet federal standards, but concerns remain about levels of forever chemicals like PFOA and PFOS.
The Safe Drinking Water Act, passed in 1974, initially set limits for just over 20 contaminants.