In conjunction with Infrastructure Week, Aqua highlights
life-improving projects taking place in the communities it serves
BRYN MAWR, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Aqua America Inc. (NYSE: WTR) is recognizing the seventh annual Infrastructure
Week, May 13-20, 2019, helping raise awareness of the critical state
of infrastructure across the United States. A leading contributor to
water and wastewater infrastructure repair and replacement, Aqua plans
to invest more than $555 million this year across the eight states where
the company operates to improve systems.
“As one of the largest water and wastewater utilities in the country,
Aqua is committed to thoughtful and continuous investment in the
infrastructure that delivers water and wastewater service to our
customers safely and reliably,” said Aqua Chairman and CEO Christopher
Franklin. “We strongly believe capital investments from private utility
companies can be a large part of the solution to the country’s
infrastructure problems. Infrastructure Week is an excellent opportunity
to showcase how our team’s work to replace aging infrastructure improves
the lives of our customers.”
The dire state of water infrastructure in the U.S. has been well
documented. In a recent study published by Utah State University,
researchers found water main break rates have increased 27% in the past
six years alone. The EPA also reports that there are approximately
240,000 water main breaks per year in the U.S., with approximately $2.6
billion lost as water mains leak trillions of gallons of treated
drinking water. These statistics quantify the need for increased
investment in the nation’s water infrastructure and underscore why Aqua
is so committed to this cause.
Making these improvements translates to meaningful system impacts.
Through Aqua’s $1 billion investment in infrastructure in southeast
Pennsylvania between 2000 and 2015, customers have seen a reduction from
nearly 25 main breaks per 100 miles of pipe, to fewer than 10 main
breaks per 100 miles of pipe. This reduced water loss and the volume and
cost of emergency repairs, reduced service interruptions, and improved
water service for customers.
Over the past five years across the company, Aqua has invested $1.5
billion in infrastructure improvements, including hundreds of miles of
pipe replacement and plant upgrades. This year, infrastructure projects
are planned across all eight of Aqua’s states to ensure safe and
reliable water reaches each customer. Some of the largest projects
taking place are highlighted below.
-
Aqua Indiana – A $3.2 million rehabilitation project at Aqua
Indiana’s 2-million-gallon capacity South Haven wastewater treatment
plant was completed in 2018. The project includes a transition from
the use of chlorine gas to ultraviolet light for disinfection, an
improved screening system to better manage storm water inflow, as well
as updated energy-efficient blowers, expected to reduce electricity
costs by up to 20 percent. -
Aqua Illinois – Throughout 2019, Aqua Illinois will carry out a
major capital improvement at the Lake Vermilion dam, originally
constructed in 1925. Aqua will replace 11 floodgates and carry out
embankment and dam spillway modifications as part of its ongoing
efforts to protect this vital water source. Construction is expected
to be completed in 2020, with efforts to minimize any lake disruption. -
Aqua New Jersey – For Aqua New Jersey, construction is underway
on a $12 million project to build three new iron removal treatment
facilities in Bayville, Berkley Township, in Ocean County. The new
facilities will treat 1.4 million gallons of water per day from a new
groundwater supply well, plus three existing groundwater supply wells.
This project, scheduled to be completed by the end of August
2019, will help provide safe and reliable water for customers by
removing naturally occurring iron from groundwater supply wells, while
also supporting the growing community in Berkley Township. -
Aqua North Carolina – Aqua North Carolina is completing
installation of six new filter systems to address discolored water in
Wake County. Since August 2018, crews have been working on installing
new iron and manganese filters that will remove naturally occurring
minerals from the water before it enters the community’s distribution
pipes. The total cost of all six filter installations is estimated at
nearly $2.1 million and all projects are expected to be completed by
mid-2019. Aqua currently has an additional eight filter projects set
to begin throughout North Carolina and another 12 currently under
review with the North Carolina Public Staff – the independent agency
that reviews, investigates and makes appropriate recommendations to
the North Carolina Utilities Commission with respect to the
reasonableness of rates charged and the adequacy of service provided
by any public utility. -
Aqua Ohio – Aqua Ohio’s Struthers water treatment plant, in
service since 1916, is undergoing a $12 million renovation to the
include new chemical storage and injection buildings and chemical feed
systems, three new 146,000-gallon contact clarifier tanks and new
electrical building and equipment. The main purpose of the plant
renovation is to replace equipment that has reached the end of its
expected useful life, modernize treatment techniques for operational
efficiency and to meet future supply and regulatory demands. -
Aqua Pennsylvania – This year, a large part of Aqua
Pennsylvania’s $323 million capital infrastructure program will be
spent replacing aging water mains. Aqua credits its main replacement
program with a dramatic reduction in service interruptions caused by
main breaks in southeastern Pennsylvania. In 2000, the number of main
breaks per 100 miles of pipe was 25. By the end of 2018, following an
investment of $1.2 billion, the number of breaks per 100 miles of main
has been reduced by more than 60% to fewer than 10. Aqua plans to
replace an additional 600 miles of water main between 2019 and 2023. -
Aqua Texas – Aqua Texas is building its first-ever surface
water treatment plant to serve Barton Creek Lakeside, a community on
Lake Travis about 30 miles northwest of Austin. Aqua currently serves
customers in this area from groundwater wells, but supply has
decreased as drought conditions have caused groundwater levels to
decline. Aqua designed its surface water treatment plant to meet the
challenges of Texas weather, like hurricanes and heavy rain, that can
increase the cloudiness of water and make it more difficult to treat.
The estimated cost for the project is $6.1 million, and it should be
completed by the end of 2019. -
Aqua Virginia – Last year, Aqua Virginia completed the
installation of new, larger filter systems to replace old filters at
three water treatment stations in the Lake Land’Or subdivision in
Caroline County. Aqua expects the new filter systems to remove
naturally occurring minerals from the groundwater more effectively,
make plant operations more efficient and improve the look and taste of
the water for customers. This year, Aqua is installing a third pump
for Fluvanna County’s Lake Monticello water treatment plant, which
draws water from the Rivanna River. The new pump will help ensure
sufficient water supply for the community in case of an emergency.
Aqua America is the second-largest publicly traded water utility based
in the U.S., and serves more than 3 million people
in Pennsylvania, Ohio, North Carolina, Illinois, Texas, New
Jersey, Indiana and Virginia. Visit AquaAmerica.com for
more information or follow Aqua on Facebook at facebook.com/MyAquaAmerica
and on Twitter at @MyAquaAmerica.
WTRG
Contacts
Stacey Hajdak
Marketing & Communications
O: 610.520.6309
M:
267.294.1866
[email protected]
