Philadelphia-Camden sewers spill 12 billion gallons of sewage a year into local waterways, report finds

PHILADELPHIA (UI) — Despite decades of progress toward cleaner water, the Philadelphia-Camden region still faces widespread sewage pollution that frequently renders rivers and creeks unsafe for recreation, according to a new report from Environment New Jersey Research & Policy Center and Frontier Group.

The report found that combined sewer overflows (CSOs) in the region release billions of gallons of raw sewage and stormwater into local waterways each year. In Philadelphia alone, the city’s three wastewater treatment plants and 164 outfalls discharged an average of 12.7 billion gallons annually between 2016 and 2024, contaminating the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers, Cobbs Creek, and other waterways.

Across the river, Camden County’s combined sewer systems overflowed an average of 76 days per year, with untreated sewage regularly reaching the Cooper, Delaware, and Newton Creeks. Though upgrades have reduced some overflows, authorities still expect hundreds of millions of gallons of sewage to enter waterways annually under current plans.

These overflows, triggered by heavy rain that overwhelms aging sewer systems, pose serious public health and environmental threats. Researchers cited increased risks of gastrointestinal illnesses and declining oxygen levels that endanger fish such as Atlantic sturgeon.

Philadelphia’s “Green City, Clean Waters” program, a 25-year plan launched in 2011, has reduced some stormwater impacts through green infrastructure projects like rain gardens and tree trenches. However, progress has been slow, and climate change is expected to worsen rainfall and flooding, further straining the city’s outdated system.

Advocates are urging officials in both states to accelerate investments in wastewater upgrades, expand stormwater management programs, and explore creative financing solutions, such as long-term “Century Bonds,” to speed system modernization. The report also calls for an end to dry-weather discharges, better public reporting on overflows, and stronger federal funding to support clean water goals.

“We must aim higher,” said co-author John Rumpler of Environment America. “Consistent with the Clean Water Act’s goal of making all waterways safe for swimming, leaders should commit to ending all sewer overflows and set a deadline for achieving that objective.”

While cities like Portland, Boston, and Washington, D.C. have dramatically cut overflow events, the Philadelphia-Camden area still has a long way to go. Experts say reaching clean-water standards will require a sustained regional effort—and a significant increase in funding.

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