Some Philadelphia residents could lose water access as annual shutoff moratorium comes to a close

From Philly and the Pa. suburbs to South Jersey and Delaware, what would you like WHYY News to cover? Let us know!

About 4,500 Philadelphia residents are at risk of losing access to their water, according to the Philadelphia Water Department.

The winter moratorium, which takes place annually, comes to an end April 1 this year. The water department is urging residents who received shutoff notices to seek help if they need assistance paying their bills.

“You really don’t want to get your water shut off,” said Brian Rademaekers, a spokesperson for the water department. “There’s extra fees that come with it. It is extremely disruptive not even being able to flush your toilet, let alone have a glass of water or take a shower. It really makes the house uninhabitable. Do not wait for that shutoff to occur.”

The water department said it sends out far fewer shutoff notices than it did during pre-pandemic times. In 2019, 25,000 people were at risk of losing access to their water supply. Rademaekers attributes the 80% drop to a number of new assistance programs.

The Raise Your Hand program exempts households with seniors, kids and people with disabilities from water shutoffs. Residents can also apply for the city’s Tiered Assistance Program, which allows them to pay their water bills based on their incomes.

The water department is also automatically enrolling residents in assistance programs when they qualify, and it partners with the city’s Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity to personally reach out to eligible residents. Today, about 60,000 residents take advantage of the water department’s various initiatives, Rademaekers said.

“[Shutoffs are] sort of a last resort,” he said. “It’s not only disruptive, and frankly traumatic, for people when they get their water turned off, it’s also expensive for us. We lose revenue, we have to get staff out there, and it’s disruptive for communities.”

If a person is unable to prevent a shutoff, they can get their service restored by signing up for the Tiered Assistance Program or by using Raise Your Hand, said Charlotte Edelstein, an attorney at Community Legal Services, which advocates for affordable water bills.

She added that shutoffs could be prevented if the city banished the policy entirely.

“Loss of water service in homes is devastating, and it can be dangerous because it can create health and safety risks, housing instability and loss of family unity,” Edelstein said. “We don’t think that anyone should lose water service and face these risks just because they’re not able to keep up with their bill.”

Residents must be $1,000 behind on their bill to lose access to their water. State law also protects tenants from shutoffs when a landlord is at fault or if the landlord requests a shutoff.

The water department also encourages residents to sign up for its Utility & Resource Fair on April 26, where they can get help signing up for assistance programs.