You got a Post-Enforcement Letter.
Now What?
A PEL from the Philadelphia Water Department means your stormwater system needs attention, and the clock is running! We make the problem go away.
☑ We talk to PWD so you don’t have to. Free initial review, no obligation.
10+ Years
Resolving PWD stormwater compliance
Same Day
Response to enforcement letters
Design-build
In-house repair & retrofit crews
Credit-first
We protect your stormwater savings
FIRST THE PLAIN-ENGLISH VERSION
What a Post-Enforcement Letter actually means
PWD periodically inspects the green stormwater infrastructure on private
property to confirm it’s still working as designed. When something’s wrong
and it isn’t fixed in time, your project moves into enforcement — and you get a
letter. Here’s what’s really going on.
It follows a failed inspection
After PWD inspects, it issues a Post-Construction Maintenance
Inspection Report listing what needs to be corrected and by when. If those corrections don’t happen, or the deadline passes, the project is referred to enforcement.
It carries real deadlines
The enforcement process sets firm dates to submit documentation or complete repairs. These aren’t suggestions — missing them is what triggers the next, more serious step.
Your credits are on the line
If you receive stormwater billing credits, they depend on the system
being maintained and functional. Enforcement can lead to suspended credits — meaning your monthly stormwater charge jumps back up.
It gets worse if ignored
Left unresolved, PWD can issue a formal Notice of Violation and Order to Correct, levy daily fines, issue an administrative order, take the matter to court, or fix the system itself and bill you for it.
THE ENFORCEMENT TIMELINE
Where you are, and where this is headed
Knowing the next step is half the battle. This is the path PWD follows after a
post-construction inspection. The earlier you act, the cheaper and simpler the
fix.
➀ ROUTINE
PWD inspection and report
PWD contacts the property owner of record to schedule an inspection
during normal business hours, then issues a Post-Construction
Maintenance Inspection Report identifying any practices that need
maintenance or correction.
➁ DEADLINE STARTS
Corrective-action window
You’re responsible for completing every required corrective action by the
deadline in the report. This is the ideal moment to bring in a contractor,
the issue is still a maintenance matter, not a violation.
➂ YOU ARE LIKELY HERE
Referral to enforcement, the PEL
If corrections aren’t made, the deadline passes, or the site condition is
serious enough, the project is referred to Post-Construction Enforcement
and PWD sets new, firm deadlines for documentation or repairs.
⚠︎ ACT NOW AND YOU CAN CONTROL THIS TIMELINE. WAIT AND PWD TAKES CONTROL OF IT
➃ ESCALATION
NOV, fines & suspended credits
Continued non-compliance can bring a Notice of Violation and Order to
Correct, suspension of your stormwater billing credits, and daily fines that
accumulate until the issue is resolved.
➄ COURT ACTION & CITY ABATEMENT
Court action & City abatement
At the far end, PWD can issue an administrative order, file an enforcement
action in court, or fix the system itself and bill you for the work, including
administrative expenses.
Stormwater system maintained
Credits intact ✔
Inspection finds deficiencies
Report issued
Deadline missed -> enforcement
Credits at risk
Continued non-compliance
Credits suspended + fines
Brandywine restores the system
Compliant + credits renewed
WHY THIS MATTERS TO YOUR BOTTOM LINE
Your stormwater credits are the real money on the table
Non-residential properties in Philadelphia are billed by impervious area, and stormwater credits can dramatically cut that monthly charge. But
credits are conditional: the system has to be maintained and working.
When enforcement suspends your credits, your bill snaps back to the full
rate until you’re compliant again. Resolving a PEL quickly isn’t just about
avoiding fines, it’s about protecting savings you already earned.
HOW WE RESOLVE IT
One call, and it's handled
We’ve guided dozens of property owners and managers through PWD
enforcement. We act as your single point of contact with the Water
Department from the first call to a clean bill of health.
➀ SEND US THE LETTER
Upload your PEL, inspection
report, or NOV. We read it the
same day and tell you exactly
what PWD is asking for.
➁ SITE ASSESSMENT
Our crew inspects the SMP —
basin, cistern, rain garden, porous
pavement — and pinpoints the
root cause, not just the symptom.
➂ WE REPAIR & DOCUMENT
In-house teams complete the
corrective work and produce the
inspection and maintenance
records PWD requires.
➃ BACK IN GOOD STANDING
We submit to PWD, confirm the
violation is cleared, and set you
up so your credits stay protected
going forward.
START HERE
Send us your letter. We'll take it from here.
Tell us a little about your property and what PWD
sent you. We’ll review it at no cost and lay out a
clear path to compliance, usually the same day.