In more than 35 years working in water and wastewater operations, I’ve watched this industry transform in ways I never saw coming — and the pace of that change isn’t slowing down. Scientific advancements challenge us to be even better stewards of the environment and provide exemplary customer service. Engineers, chemists, and water treatment professionals have built systems capable of eliminating waterborne diseases and other threats that once put our water supplies at serious risk. But those same advancements come with a tradeoff: stricter regulations that demand more from our infrastructure and the people who operate it. Our customers deserve high-quality drinking water every single day, and meeting that standard is exactly what drives the work we do.

PFAS is one of those issues that demands more of us. These aren’t theoretical future threats; they’re in many of the things we encounter in our daily lives in some communities across Pennsylvania. And here’s the part people don’t always want to hear: PFAS treatment is expensive. We’re building industrial-scale filtration systems, running continuous monitoring programs, managing specialized disposal of contaminated materials, performing laboratory analysis, and maintaining all of it around the clock. Every treatment facility is a major infrastructure investment. And there are a lot of them.

Since 2018, we’ve been systematically installing these systems across Pennsylvania — site by site, community by community — to make sure PFAS never reaches your tap. That work is ongoing, and it’s not negotiable. Regardless, we are always looking for better ways to fund these projects and mitigate the impact on our customers. To that end, we were just awarded nearly $17 million in PENNVEST funding to install five PFAS treatment systems at nine community well sites across Bucks, Chester, and Montgomery Counties. These systems will protect nearly 16,000 customers and their families and ensure we meet the new federal drinking water standards. These aren’t just project names on a list — these are real neighborhoods, real families, real water. And we’re going to get it right.

Why This Funding Matters to You

Without grants and low-interest loans from PENNVEST, the full cost of PFAS remediation would land squarely on customer bills. That’s the reality of infrastructure investment.

Over the last five years, PENNVEST has awarded Aqua Pennsylvania more than $196 million in funding for infrastructure improvements. Nearly $96 million of that has gone directly toward PFAS treatment projects. That funding doesn’t just build treatment facilities — it reduces the financial burden on our customers.

Think of it this way: every dollar we receive in grants or principal forgiveness loans is a dollar that doesn’t get added to your monthly water bill. This is a public-private partnership working the way it’s supposed to. We bring the operational expertise in response to regulatory mandates and the urgency to deliver clean water to our customers. PENNVEST brings the financial tools that make large-scale investment possible without crushing the people we serve.

This Work Isn’t Optional

We’re already in full compliance with Pennsylvania DEP’s PFAS drinking water standards, but federal regulations are even more stringent. The new EPA standards require more facilities to receive treatment, and we’re moving fast to stay ahead of the regulatory deadlines – because that’s what our customers deserve, and frankly, that’s what we do.

PFAS doesn’t announce itself. You can’t see it, smell it, or taste it. In 2016, Aqua Pennsylvania started testing each of its drinking water supplies to understand the presence of PFAS and develop a plan for its removal. The only way to protect people from it is through timely investment in our infrastructure – the kind that doesn’t make headlines.

The Work Continues

Our nine well sites receiving treatment systems this year are just part of the picture. Construction at these facilities is expected to wrap up by late 2027, and we’re already planning the next phase of projects across our service areas. Every site we treat means more families protected, more communities safeguarded, and more confidence in the water flowing through your pipes.

We’re grateful to PENNVEST and the elected officials who recognize that clean water infrastructure is non-negotiable. Their support makes it possible for us to tackle PFAS aggressively while keeping costs manageable for the people we serve.

PFAS remediation is ongoing, costly, and absolutely essential. But with the right partnerships and the right funding, we can do this work without customers needing to shoulder the entire financial burden. That’s how it should be — and that’s how we’re getting it done.

Learn more at Aqua Pennsylvania, a leading water and wastewater utility serving approximately 1.5 million residents across 32 counties in Pennsylvania. Established in 1886, it is the largest subsidiary of Essential Utilities, Inc., and is committed to delivering safe, reliable water services through continuous infrastructure investment and environmental stewardship.