Aqua PA Asks For Water Use Reduction, Gives Few Details

PHOENIXVILLE, PA — The toll-free customer service number is out of service, so if your water is discolored or you wonder if you should be boiling it, or you just want to know if you're in Aqua PA's area around the Pickering Creek Dam where water use should be limited, your only option is an email to the company.

That's what a notice from Aqua Pennsylvania told customers on Thursday, as heavy rainfall and historic flooding levels left its Pickering East and West treatment plants non-operations.

Aqua PA sent out three notices Thursday informing customers of the two plants of a shutdown and asking them to "please suspend all non-essential water use until we notify you that we've restored adequate water supply." Non-emergency email inquiries should be deferred for now, a notice said.

And in case anyone was auto-watering their lawn post-Ida flooding, the message added, "Please remember to turn off automatic sprinklers if you have them."

One of Aqua's notices said, "There is the potential for some customers to experience discolored water as we redirect water throughout our distribution system to sustain capacity." The notice did not say there was any danger related to using the water.

One Twitter user and Aqua customer asked what seemed to be on many minds."I read your alert about the possibility of seeing 'discolored' water coming out of the tap. What I did NOT see was any guidance regarding that tainted water. My question then: will that discolored water be 100% safe to consume 'as is,' or will it need to be treated in some way?"

Another echoed the question of what to do about discolored water, writing, "Does this mean we have to boil water?? Will our water shut off?"

On Friday morning, Aqua PA responded to the thread of customer questions and complaints in its Twitter feed saying, "We apologize for the inconvenience but hope to have service restored as soon as possible."

The Phoenixville area and communities along the Schuylkill River were among the hard-hit areas in Wednesday's flooding in the Philadelphia area,

As Hurricane Ida weakened and tracked northeast, Chester County was in its path and got more than a month's worth of rain dumped on its towns, fields, and waterways on Wednesday into Thursday. Schools and roads were shut down and emergency crews were out through the night and into the next day.

Phoenixville Mayor Peter Urscheler said French Creek was flooding on Thursday morning. The Creek feeds into the Schuylkill River. "Not only can there be issues with electric but the currents are moving much faster than they appear," Urscheler said in a social media post to the community.

Evacuation Was Ready, Called Off

Schuylkill Township on Wednesday night had 500 residents prepped for an evacuation of the area around Pickering Creek Dam, but by Thursday morning it was called off.

The first of the three notices issued on Thursday explained that heavy rainfall increased the amount of water flow over the dam spillway. "The water rose to a level that triggered an early warning notification by Aqua to the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management and Chester County Department of Emergency Services. The reservoir later rose to a level that required Aqua to notify Montgomery County and Chester County to initiate evacuation of homes in accordance with Aqua's flood plan. At this point, Montgomery County is undertaking the evacuation of about 500 people. Aqua will continue to monitor the situation and provide reports as they become available."

Water Use Notice Later In The Day

It was later in the day that Aqua PA pushed out notices to customers, asking them to limit water use and warning of discoloration.

"Aqua is making adjustments in other parts of our southeastern Pennsylvania water system to increase supply to our Pickering service area, but it will take time to offset the volume of water we normally produce at this plant. There is the potential for some customers to experience discolored water as we redirect water throughout our distribution system to sustain capacity."

No map or list of towns in the "Pickering service area" was provided and customers were concerned, though many reported receiving emails or other alerts that they were in that service area under shutdown.

"Aqua PA's pages have the same information, with no indication of where the service areas are that are affected. "Pickering East and West" is vague. Would you mind adding a map, please?" Tweeted one Aqua customer.

Aqua Pennsylvania's website says it has 11 plants in the Commonwealth serving 1.4 million people with nearly 6,000 miles of main.

One comment on Aqua PA's Twitter feed added, "Can you stop raising prices?" Aqua PA has filed a request with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission asking to raise wastewater rates as soon as October. If Aqua PA's request were approved as the company is asking, a residential customer using 3,800 gallons of water a month would see their bill increase from $37.59 to $71.27 each month. Businesses using 5,800 gallons of water per month would see their bill go from $50.90 to $88 each month, according to Aqua PA's proposal. Read that story here.

As Pennsylvania received the remnants of Hurricane Ida as the storm tracked northeast, at least four deaths have been reported in its wake. A tornado was confirmed in Oxford, Pennsylvania and one in Montgomery County, as the National Weather Service continues its investigation of the storm's damage.

Richard Rotondo, of Phoenixville, took this drone video of flooding around Phoenixville Borough.

This story will be updated if Patch is able to obtain a map of Aqua PA's Pickering East and West service areas, or with other helpful information.

Aqua PA customers: We had to shut down our Pickering East & West water treatment plants due to the recent storm. Please suspend nonessential water use until further notice & please turn off automatic sprinklers. For more info, please visit Aqua's PA page: https://t.co/OL3HgXnREt. pic.twitter.com/NCA2mTDaA5
— Aqua (@MyAquaAmerica) September 2, 2021