Aqua Ends Nonessential Water Use Request After Plant Repairs

BRYN MAWR, PA — Aqua Pennsylvania customers in the Philadelphia region no longer are asked to conserve water following Hurricane Ida's damage to the utility's treatment plants.

The company Thursday ended its request that customers reduce nonessential water use to aid the recovery of normal water supply in the utility’s southeastern Pennsylvania service area.

Aqua on Sept. 3 requested customers curtail nonessential water use after the Pickering West water treatment plant was severely damaged in flooding from Hurricane Ida's remnants.

By Set. 10, the plant was partially recovered.

The Pickering West water treatment plant normally provides up to 40 percent of Aqua’s drinking water supply to its southeastern Pennsylvania service area. Aqua’s sources of drinking water and water distribution infrastructure throughout the four-county system allowed for rerouting of water supply to compensate for the loss.

This recovery, along with customer conservation efforts, helped the utility bring drinking water supply for Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Bucks counties back to normal operation levels.

From everyone at Aqua, I thank all our customers in southeastern Pennsylvania for their support and cooperation,” Marc Lucca, president of Aqua Pennsylvania, said. “With your help, we have recovered distribution system water storage to within normal levels and are able to end our earlier request. Aqua customers can now resume normal water use.”

Lucca said the devastating effects of the storm emphasized the critical importance of access to safe drinking water.

“As we return to normal routines, let’s enjoy this essential resource, but not be wasteful," he said.