Aqua spending $1 million on pipeline replacement projects

The projects will upgrade water service in 3 Chester County municipalities

“These projects are part of more than $175 million in total infrastructure improvement projects planned in 2015 in Pennsylvania.”

— Aqua Pennsylvania

Aqua Pennsylvania said Wednesday it is spending more than $1 million on three pipeline replacement projects in eastern Chester County.

The infrastructure improvement projects, totaling $1.2 million are under way in Schuylkill, Tredyffrin and Willistown townships.

They will “increase service reliability, reduce the potential for discolored water and improve firefighting capabilities in the region,” Aqua said in announcing the projects.

In Schuylkill Township, crews are wrapping up a $248,000 main replacement project on Valley Forge Road between Whitehorse Road and Belmont Terrace.

The old 6-inch cast iron water main was replaced with 1,100 feet of 8-inch ductile iron main.

Crews recently finished connecting customers to the new main and expect to begin final paving shortly. The project began the week of June 22.

In late July, crews broke ground on a $428,000 main replacement project in Tredyffrin to replace existing 6-inch cast iron water main with 2,245 feet of 8-inch ductile iron main on the following roads:

• Keller Road between Conestoga Road and a point 540 feet west of Conestoga Road;

• Bair Road between Orchard Way and Keller Road;

• Keller Road between Bair Road and a point 230 feet east of Bair Road.

The project began the week of July 20, and completion is expected in September.

Crews also began work on a $480,000 main replacement project in Tredyffrin and Willistown townships on Cobblestone Drive loop off of West Circular Avenue.

Crews are working to replace existing 6-inch cast iron main with 2,700 feet of 8-inch ductile iron main, Aqua said.

Both projects are expected to be done in the fall.

“These projects are part of more than $175 million in total infrastructure improvement projects planned in 2015 in Pennsylvania,” the company said. “In 2014, Aqua Pennsylvania completed $217 million in similar projects.”

Aqua Pennsylvania, part of Aqua America, serves about 1.4 million people in 32 counties throughout the state.

Also on Wednesday, Aqua America reported second quarter income from continuing operations of $57.4 million, up 4.7 percent from $54.8 million in 2014. Diluted income from continuing operations per share was 32 cents for the quarter, compared to 31 cents for the same quarter in 2014.

Revenues increased to $205.8 million, or 5.4 percent, compared to $195.3 million for the second quarter of 2014. Customer growth in both the regulated and market-based businesses accounted for approximately 65 percent of the total increase. Rates, surcharges and consumption contributed to the remainder—approximately 35 percent of the total increase.

“Success in both our regulated and market-based acquisition strategies accounted for most of the company’s increased revenue for the second quarter,” said Aqua America’s Chief Executive Officer Christopher Franklin.

PHOTO COURTESY OF AQUA PENNSYLVANIA Scenes like this one on Greene Road in Tredyffrin depicted in the fall of 2014 are commonplace in eastern Chester County this summer as water main replacement work is continuing.