Drains feeding Philadelphia’s rivers and creeks are bursting with raw, polluted sewage an average of 65 days a year, according to a report released Monday.
The PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center analysis reveals that combined sewer overflows (CSOs) have dumped an average of 12.7 billion gallons of sewage-laced stormwater into local waterways annually from fiscal years 2016 through 2024. This pollution renders stretches of the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers, as well as creeks like Cobbs, Frankford, and Tacony, unsafe for recreational activities for weeks at a time.
The report found that just ten of the city’s 164 outfalls accounted for half of the total overflow volume.
“It angers but does not surprise me that my constituents [near Cobbs Creek] experience the highest volume of sewage overflows, and at this rate, it will take decades for rivers and creeks to be regularly clean,” Philadelphia City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier said, according to CBS News.
City guidance warns that when an outfall is spilling, nearby waters are “unsafe for any type of recreation” and can remain hazardous for up to 72 hours after storms. This means frequent CSOs can wipe out more than half the calendar days for boaters and anglers.
Across the river, Camden County’s sewer system averaged 76 overflow days per year over the same period, the report adds. While Camden does not publish volume data, it tracks the “solids/floatables” collected by its nets—a grim proxy for the pollution present in the water.
Philadelphia officials have highlighted years of efforts through their “Green City, Clean Waters” program. However, PennEnvironment’s analysis shows that raw sewage discharges remain massive and persistent.
The group’s interactive map highlights the worst outfalls and recreation sites most frequently affected, underscoring how routine rainfall continues to turn major stretches of the region’s waterways into open sewers.
https://dailycaller.com/2025/10/28/philadelphia-drainage-waterways-raw-sewage-overflowing/
