Got a Water Department Notice of Defect? What to do this week
A Notice of Defect means the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) found a problem in the pipes between your house and the City's water main or sewer in the street. In Philadelphia the property owner pays for that repair, even when the broken pipe is under the sidewalk or the street.[source] The notice gives you a short time to fix it; PWD's Customer Guide says up to 10 days.[source]
Plain English. Every fact links to a City or Water Department source, checked October 6, 2026.
Is your water already shut off because of a defect notice?
The City says to call (215) 685-9651.[source]
Want the Water Department to do the repair and let you pay it back?
Ask about the HELP loan: (215) 685-4901. A PWD contractor does the work and eligible owners repay it interest-free over five years.[source]
Renting? PWD's notice flyer says the landlord is responsible if you rent.[source]
This week, in order
- Read the notice closely. The defects are marked with check boxes on the front and on a diagram on the back. The notice says where the problem was found, what to do and who to call.[source] Note the date and the number of days it gives you.
- Choose how you will pay before you choose who does the work. PWD's flyer describes the main routes: hire a licensed plumber yourself; enrol in PWD's HELP loan, where a PWD contractor does the repair; or, if your income qualifies, apply to a PHDC home-repair program.[source] If HELP fits you, you do not need to hire your own plumber. Read about costs and paying.
- If you hire your own plumber, hire a licensed one. PWD says all of this work must be done by a licensed plumber, and the City says you choose that plumber yourself, without the City's help.[source][source] You can check any plumber's licence on the City's L&I Contractor Lookup. How to check a licence.
- Get more than one estimate. That is the City's own advice.[source] Questions to ask each plumber.
- Make sure the permits are pulled and posted before digging starts. Depending on which pipe failed, the job needs an L&I plumbing permit, a PWD sewer or water connection permit, or both.[source] Which permit is which.
The guide
What a Notice of Defect means
How it's delivered, the deadline, shutoff, and who to call.
ReadWho owns which pipe
A labelled diagram from your basement to the City mains.
See the diagramRepair types
Sewer lateral, water service line, curb trap and vent, in plain words.
ReadPermits and licences
Which permit the job needs and how to check a plumber on the City site.
ReadWhat drives the cost
Real City permit fees, the factors that change the price, and ways to pay.
ReadQuestions to ask a plumber
A checklist to compare estimates fairly.
ReadWho runs this site
This is an independent guide. It is not run by, endorsed by or connected to the City of Philadelphia or the Philadelphia Water Department. We are not plumbers. If you want, you can ask up to 3 licensed plumbers to contact you about your repair; you choose which ones, and they only get your request if you send it. How this site works and how it is paid for.
Sources
Every source below was opened and read on October 6, 2026. City pages change; if one of them now says something different, the City's page wins.
- Got a plumbing defect notice? Here’s what to do! City of Philadelphia, Department of Revenue (phila.gov). October 3, 2024 (marked "Archived" on phila.gov).
- Follow these tips to get ready for pipe repairs. City of Philadelphia, Department of Revenue (phila.gov). July 29, 2026.
- PWD Customer Guide, Fourth Edition (PDF), page 9 "What’s a Notice of Defect?". Philadelphia Water Department. File dated February 2026.
- What to do after you receive a Plumbing Notice of Defect (NOD) (PDF). Philadelphia Water Department. Version 8.0, 3/12/24.
- What is a Plumbing Notice of Defect? City of Philadelphia, Department of Revenue (phila.gov). June 19, 2019 (marked "Archived" on phila.gov).
- Sewer Connection and Repair Manual (PDF), Sections IV and V. Philadelphia Water Department. File dated October 2024.