Abstract: Nineteen Ninety-nine marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of efforts to restore Philadelphia's landmark historic site, the Fairmount Water Works. This effort has picked up great momentum in the last few years not just because of a good economy, but primarily because the health of the Schuylkill River has changed dramatically for the better in this last decade. The remarkable comeback of America's rivers, is only one of the stories The Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center tells, through its lively educational programs and interactive exhibits, to thousands of visitors each year.

Ed Grusheski will outline the history of (drinking) water and wastewater in Philadelphia with a specific focus on the environmental issues which informed, or were ignored by, the decision-makers who built the city's water infrastructure, the urban watershed. A particular emphasis will be placed on the role of the Fairmount Water Works in the nineteenth century, as Philadelphia made a valiant attempt to implement land management practices to protect its drinking water quality.

This will be followed by a discussion of the Center's current programs to educate the general public about water issues (drinking water quality, source water, stormwater runoff, combined sewer overflows, wastewater treatment, drought) which effect their daily lives. The value of the site itself - its history, its location, its beauty - in focusing the visitor's attention on these issues will be reviewed. Finally, the discussion will turn to the Philadelphia Water Department's plans for the Interpretive Center. As restoration of the site approaches completion, the Water Department's vision for the Water Works Interpretive Center as an appropriate program for this National Historic Landmark is closer to becoming a reality.