Aqua Pennsylvania asks customers throughout its southeastern Pennsylvania service area to discontinue nonessential water use until further notice as the utility works to restore normal operations at two major water treatment plants that sustained damage due to the devastating floods caused by the remnants of Hurricane Ida.

Aqua had to shut down its Pickering East and West water treatment plants in Phoenixville, Pa., due to heavy rainfall, flooding and loss of power. Aqua has successfully returned a portion of the Pickering East plant online, but as the flood waters began to subside over the past few hours, utility professionals have been able to assess the extent of damage, which is greater than previously thought. It will take some time for full recovery to take place and we ask customers to take all possible measures to curtail water use until further notice. Those who have automatic lawn sprinklers are advised to turn them off.

“The remnants of Hurricane Ida wreaked havoc throughout southeastern Pennsylvania,” said Aqua Pennsylvania President Marc Lucca. “And our thoughts and prayers are with all of the people devastated by terrible flooding, tornadoes and high winds. Our employees are working tirelessly to restore full water supply to serve the families, businesses and communities who rely on us, and we appreciate our customers’ cooperation by conserving water.”

Aqua is making adjustments in other parts of its interconnected southeastern Pennsylvania water system to increase supply to the Pickering service area, but it will take time to offset the volume of water normally produced at the two plants.

Last modified: September 3, 2021