Willistown Terminates Aqua’s Takeover Of Sewer Plant

WILLISTOWN, PA —Willistown supervisors terminated a sale agreement for Aqua Pennsylvania to purchase the Willistown Township sewer plant for $17.7 million, according to a resolution available Tuesday.

Supervisors Molly H.B. Perrin, chairwoman; William R. Shoemaker, vice chairman; and Robert T. Lang signed a termination agreement on April 14.

Perrin said in a prepared statement that appeals of the sale filed in Commonwealth Court have not been resolved.

The township’s agreement with Aqua allows the township to withdraw from the deal by April 14.

Aqua, based in Bryn Mawr, asked the township not to terminate the agreement, but the supervisors decided not to proceed with the sale, according to the statement.

The current average sewer bill of a Willistown resident is $63.30 per month.

The plant serves 2,294 households. The remaining 2,000 households have septic tanks.

The township has a team of nine employees responsible for roads, stormwater, parks and sewer services, which occupies 30% of their time.

In April 2022, an administrative law judge recommended that the Public Utilities Commission deny Aqua an opportunity to purchase the Willistown Township sewer plant for $17.7 million.

The PUC, however, approved the sale.

Subsequently, Concerned Willistown Sewer Customers, a citizens' group, and the Pennsylvania Office of Consumer Advocate appealed the decision to Commonwealth Court.

Henry Yordan, a member of the citizens' group, said Tuesday the supervisors decided to terminate the sale as soon as the opportunity arose.

"We do not think this sale was in the best interests of the sewer users so we are pleased that the supervisors voted to terminate pursuant to their contractual rights, and that they did so unanimously and on a bipartisan basis," Yordan said.