Philadelphia Water Department's largest professional services contract in FY 2026 was the Synagro Biosolids Recycling Center, at US$29,710,000, held through the Philadelphia Municipal Authority since October 2008. Three of PWD's five largest professional services contracts that year ran through the same authority.
The five largest
PWD's FY 2027 budget testimony to City Council, given on April 8, 2026, lists the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development's Stormwater Management Incentives Program at US$15,000,000. An AMI service contract through the Philadelphia Municipal Authority stands at US$7,500,000; PWD says more than 470,000 meters were upgraded and the rollout is complete. Arcadis US, Inc. holds the general consultant role at US$7,200,000, started in November 2022, and Northeast biogas cogeneration through the Philadelphia Municipal Authority stands at US$3,675,000.
What sits outside them
Most capital work does not run through these vehicles. Public works and supplies are bid on PHLContracts, with formal bids above US$25,000, and professional services go through eContract Philly. At the Baxter plant, D.J. Keating says it is general contractor on Clear Well Basins 3 & 4, with an overall cost of US$101,944,000 and completion anticipated by June 2027. For the lead service line pilot, covering about 1,000 lines, PWD hires licensed plumbers.
Why it matters
These are long-running arrangements; the Synagro contract dates from 2008. Capital work is where the volume sits: PWD's proposed FY 2026 to FY 2031 program budgets US$1,008 million for water main relay and US$990 million for the collector system.
Which projects are in procurement now, which are emerging, how PWD's finances stand and what suppliers should watch through 2027 are covered in the full report. The full report, Philadelphia Water Department: Utility Account Brief, is available for USD 499. For a free overview, read the Philadelphia Water Department Utility Snapshot.