One Year After First Federal PFAS Guidelines, Aqua Pennsylvania on Track to Meet 2029 Compliance Deadline
Years of action before federal or state guidelines underscores the company's ongoing customer commitment to remove PFAS and protect public health
Aqua Pennsylvania continues its work to protect customers' drinking water as ASCE report card grades America's drinking water as a ‘C-'
One year since the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set a national standard for six PFAS compounds in drinking water, Aqua Pennsylvania confirms it is prepared to meet these federal regulations ahead of required compliance in 2029 thanks to nearly a decade of sustained action.
"When our customers turn on their taps, they do so with confidence that their drinking water is safe. We are fully committed to providing reliable, high-quality drinking water to our customers' homes and businesses and communities we serve," said Aqua Pennsylvania President Marc A. Lucca. "Aqua Pennsylvania has proactively worked for years to remove PFAS from our drinking water long before regulations were in place. Our extensive experience and ongoing efforts have not only ensured safe drinking water for our customers but have also positioned us to meet the EPA's strict guidelines ahead of the 2029 deadline."
The EPA first proposed its National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for six PFAS compounds in March 2023 and finalized the NPDWR standard in April 2024. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) published its final rule for PFOS and PFOA in January 2023. Years before the EPA or DEP established regulations, Aqua Pennsylvania set its own company standard for PFAS and started initiatives to remove PFAS from its customers' drinking water. Aqua's efforts and progress since 2016 include:
- Building a state-of-the-art lab to include high-tech testing equipment that can detect PFAS and other chemicals. Aqua is the only utility in Pennsylvania with a certified lab that tests for these chemicals, helping teams test samples more quickly and make timely decisions on water treatment.
- Setting an industry-leading standard for all Aqua customers in 2020, representing, at the time, the strictest Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) at 13 parts per trillion.
- Making PFAS test results available to all customers, ensuring they have clear and accessible information about their drinking water.
- Installing advanced filters in systems with high PFAS levels to meet DEP drinking water standards by 2025 and move toward EPA compliance by 2029.
To meet evolving regulations and maintain the service reliability customers rely on, Aqua Pennsylvania invests significantly in critical infrastructure and upgrades to its treatment systems and facilities.
As part of its commitment to mitigate the financial impact of regulations on customer rates, Aqua Pennsylvania aggressively pursues alternative funding sources. In 2024, Aqua secured nearly $100 million in low-interest loans and grants from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST) to fund critical projects. At the same time, the company continues to pursue legal action against chemical manufacturers and companies responsible for PFAS contamination in local watersheds and groundwater sources to hold them accountable.
Aqua Pennsylvania's ongoing efforts come as the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 2025 Report Card for America's Infrastructure graded the country's drinking water a grade of C- and wastewater a grade of D+, highlighting the need for sustained infrastructure investment to strengthen water and wastewater systems and protect public health.
For more information on Aqua Pennsylvania's PFAS initiatives and water quality efforts, click here.
About Aqua Pennsylvania
Aqua Pennsylvania provides water and wastewater service to approximately 1.5 million people in 32 counties throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Visit AquaWater.com for more information or follow @MyAquaWater on Facebook and @MyAquaWater on X.
About Essential
Essential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE:WTRG) delivers safe, clean, reliable services that improve quality of life for individuals, families, and entire communities. With a focus on water, wastewater and natural gas, Essential is committed to sustainable growth, operational excellence, a superior customer experience, and premier employer status. We are advocates for the communities we serve and are dedicated stewards of natural lands, protecting more than 7,600 acres of forests and other habitats throughout our footprint.
Operating as the Aqua and Peoples brands, Essential serves approximately 5.5 million people across nine states. Essential is one of the most significant publicly traded water, wastewater service and natural gas providers in the U.S. Learn more at www.essential.co.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which generally include words such as "believes," "expects," "intends," "anticipates," "estimates" and similar expressions. The Company can give no assurance that any actual or future results or events discussed in these statements will be achieved. Any forward-looking statements represent its views only as of today and should not be relied upon as representing its views as of any subsequent date. Readers are cautioned that such forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties that could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from the statements contained in this release. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the capital, including the timing of capital, to be invested in Aqua's water and wastewater infrastructure, that it will continue to seek and receive grants and low-interest loans, the outcome of any litigation, and meeting all federal and state standards that may change. There are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements including the factors discussed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, which are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For more information regarding risks and uncertainties associated with the Company's business, please refer to the Company's annual, quarterly and other SEC filings. The Company is not under any obligation - and expressly disclaims any such obligation - to update or alter its forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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