Center City
Center City, PA water profile — supply sources, drought status, wastewater reuse, and the key water issues facing the city.
Center City is a small but growing city and the 9th-largest in Pennsylvania, home to roughly 57,239 residents. Center City's drinking water comes largely from the same regional sources that serve Pennsylvania: Susquehanna River, Delaware River, and Allegheny.
As elsewhere in Pennsylvania, the central challenge is aging infrastructure. Old industrial-era systems and PFAS near former military sites dominate the agenda.
Pennsylvania reuses an estimated 3% of its treated wastewater and maintains minimal reuse programs; Center City tracks moderate to severe drought conditions on the U.S. Drought Monitor scale.
Explore the Pennsylvania profile for statewide context, or dig into the water issues shaping Center City below.
At a glance
- Population ~57,239 (9th-largest in Pennsylvania)
- Primary sources: Susquehanna River, Delaware River, and Allegheny
- Drought: moderate to severe conditions
- State reuse rate: ~3% of wastewater
Statewide drought history
% of Pennsylvania in severe+ drought (Severe (D2) now).
Source: U.S. Drought Monitor
Common questions
Is tap water safe in Center City?
Center City is served by community water systems regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Statewide, 40.6% of Pennsylvania's systems have a recent health-based violation. Check your provider's annual Consumer Confidence Report for local results.
Where does Center City get its water?
Center City draws from the same regional sources that serve Pennsylvania: Susquehanna River, Delaware River, Allegheny.
Related water issues
Aging Infrastructure
Much of America's water infrastructure is decades past its design life, leaking trillions of gallons a year and demanding hundreds of billions in reinvestment.
ExplorePFAS Contamination
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances persist in water supplies for decades. New federal limits are forcing utilities nationwide to invest in advanced treatment.
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