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Philadelphia Council Moves to Shield Residents From Winter Water Service Cuts Amid Frozen Pipe Fears

Official:Amending Title 13 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled “Water and Sewer,” to revise certain provisions of Section 13-901 to impose restrictions on the termination of service.

Sponsor: Councilmember Quiñones Sánchez

Introduced: January 30, 2020

: Committee on Finance

public healthwater servicewinter protection

No one voted on this bill

This bill was introduced in the 2020–2023 Council term and when that term ran out. The public record shows no committee vote and no floor vote at any stage, so no member of Council ever went on record for or against it.

That is not unusual here. Of the 8,465 bills introduced between 2000 and 2025, 1,624 lapsed without a single recorded vote. Ninety percent of bills that became law carry a roll call. Three percent of lapsed bills do. How this works.

Plain-Language Summary

This bill protects Philadelphians from having their water service terminated during winter months (Dec 1 - Apr 1) when frozen pipes are more common and public health risks are higher.

What This Bill Does

AI-written. Every figure is checked against the bill text.

Prohibits the Philadelphia Water Department from terminating water and sewer service to residential properties on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, or holidays.
Imposes a moratorium on the termination of water and sewer service during the winter months (December 1 - April 1).
Prohibits the Water Department from terminating service due to non-payment on any of the days listed in Section
4. Does not impose any specific penalties or requirements for residential property owners to pay for water and sewer service, but instead restricts when the Water Department can terminate service.