PHOENIXVILLE, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — Aqua Pennsylvania crews are working around the clock to clean up the damage at the company’s Pickering West water treatment plant.
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Aqua President Marc Lucca said the night after Ida plowed through, the usually placid Pickering Creek was about 20 feet higher than it is now, backed up from the Schuylkill River — nearly a quarter-mile away.
“We did OK in every one of our other areas. Every one of our other plants still is online, but this plant obviously suffered significant damage,” he said.
Lucca said the entire west facility was underwater, and repairs will take time.
“The equipment coming in here is 4,160 volts, so you’re not dealing with small stuff, and you have to be very, very careful.”
He said they’re still working through the systems: “Our product is the only utility that you ingest. So we absolutely have to make it 100% correct, and that’s the time that it’s taking.”
Aqua lifted its boil-water advisory in Charlestown and East Whiteland townships Friday evening.
Pressure in the pipes that feed those areas dropped, and that could let in contaminants. Lucca said they needed to test to make sure the water was clean before lifting it.