Water Treatment Plant That Serves Part Of Falls Twp. Celebrates $24 Million In Upgrades

Residents in Falls Township, Lower Makefield Township, and Yardley Borough who are customers of Pennsylvania American Water are being served by the Yardley Water Treatment Plant that recently completed $24 million in upgrades.

On Monday, Pennsylvania American Water officials joined with representatives from the three municipalities to cut the ribbon on a slew of system upgrades and critical infrastructure improvements.

The treatment plant on Edgewood Road in Lower Makefield Township serves about 36,000 people between the three communities and can now handle as much as six million gallons per day. However, two and a half million to three million gallons per day is the most common amount of water from the Delaware River and wells in the area that are being treated at the plant.

After the water is piped to the plant from the river intake system and local wells, Pennsylvania American Water lets it settle to remove debris and treats it with chlorine and ultraviolet light before sending it to customers through 192 miles of underground distribution pipes, officials said.

The upgrades included moving from chlorine and ammonia gas systems to liquid systems and adding the ultraviolet light cleaning system that will kill anything harmful in the water that the chemicals don’t get, according to Jim Gable, operations manager at Pennsylvania American Water.

The two-year project at the treatment plant removed some older equipment installed during a 1996 upgrade and added the latest equipment and systems, Gable said.

The treatment plant includes five storage tanks to provide drinking water and fire protection. It also includes an older treatment system on site that is designed to handle large influxes of water, including what could happen after a severe storm or hurricane, to make sure the plant isn’t overwhelmed.

Gable explained that settled debris and dirt from the water brought into the plant is trucked to farms for use or to the landfill for disposal.

“Our Yardley Treatment Plant provides an essential service to the residents of Yardley Borough, Lower Makefield Township, and Falls Township, and we are thrilled to unveil the latest investment into this facility,” said Justin Ladner, president of Pennsylvania American Water. “Upgrading our infrastructure allows us to continue the delivery of safe, reliable water service to our customers. This project represents a comprehensive investment and commitment to keeping pace with industry best practices, which is a central part of our work at Pennsylvania American Water.”

Lander said 10 Pennsylvania American Water employees operate the treatment plant around the clock.

Pennsylvania American Water is a a subsidiary of New York Stock Exchange-traded American Water and serves about 14 million people in 24 states.

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