Pennsylvania American Water Announces $17 Million Plan for Water Storage Upgrades in 2021

MECHANICSBURG, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pennsylvania American Water today announced its 2021 plans to rehabilitate 11 of its water storage tanks and construct seven new structures. Pennsylvania American Water’s tank rehabilitation program of inspecting, sandblasting, and repainting tanks extends their service lives and helps protect water quality. The total cost of the company’s water storage improvements this year is approximately $17 million.

“Storage tanks are critical to meeting the supply demands of our customers and providing fire protection for our communities,” said Pennsylvania American Water President Mike Doran. “Properly and proactively maintaining tanks benefits our customers because of the cost efficiencies we can achieve by rehabilitating rather than replacing them.”

During the past five years, Pennsylvania American Water has invested more than $40 million to maintain, rehabilitate and construct water storage tanks. This year, the company will rehabilitate and repaint ground storage tanks in the following municipalities:

• Baldwin Borough, Allegheny County – 350,000-gallon
• Camp Hill Township, Cumberland County – 2,000,000-gallon
• Crystal Lake, Susquehanna County – 1,000,000-gallon
• Mechanicsburg Borough, Cumberland County – 3,000,000-gallon
• Menallen Township, Fayette County – 1,000,000-gallon
• Silver Spring Township, Cumberland County – 430,000-gallon
• Sinking Spring, Berks County – 250,000-gallon
• Union Township, Washington County – 5,000,000-gallon
• Union Township, Washington County – 350,000-gallon

To rehabilitate the tanks, crews will strip the original paint and apply a new coating, which serves as a protective barrier that prevents the steel from rusting and impacting water quality. During construction, customers should not experience impacts to their water service.

The company also is constructing seven new ground storage tanks in the following municipalities to provide additional water storage capacity, which will help the company continue to deliver reliable water service to meet customer demand and provide fire protection:

• Abington Township, Montgomery County – 300,000-gallon
• Lehman Township, Pike County – 223,000-gallon
• Lehman Township, Pike County – 214,000-gallon
• Middle Smithfield Township, Monroe County – 500,000-gallon
• Middle Smithfield Township, Monroe County – 300,000 -gallon
• Parkesburg Borough, Chester County – 1,000,000-gallon (two)
• Parkesburg Borough, Chester County – 750,000-gallon

Pennsylvania American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 2.4 million people. With a history dating back to 1886, American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly traded water and wastewater utility company. The company employs more than 7,000 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services to an estimated 15 million people in 46 states. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable and reliable water services to our customers to help make sure we keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com and follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.