Aqua To Build ‘Forever Chemical’ Removal System In Middletown

A $1.7 million project to scrub “forever chemicals” from the drinking supply is moving forward after the Middletown Township Board of Supervisors granted approval to Aqua Pennsylvania for a new treatment facility.

The construction at the Neshaminy Water Treatment Plant on Old Lincoln Highway is to remove per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) before federal regulations take effect in 2029.

“We’re trying to get ahead of the curve here and make sure that we’re upgrading plants throughout this area to make sure that we address this issue,” said Gina Gerber, an attorney with Riley, Riper, Hollin, and Colagreco, which is representing the utility.

The upgrades include a new PFAS treatment building, a pumping station, and a water storage tank.

The facility is located in a manufacturing zoning district.

Janie Jordan, a project engineer with the firm AECOM, said the system will use carbon filtration technology. She compared the process to a household refrigerator filter, but on a significantly larger industrial scale.

“They’re known as forever chemicals. They just don’t break down,” Jordan said. “Once they get into the water, they don’t come out. They don’t break down in the water. They don’t break down in our bodies. So we’re just introducing the treatment that will remove these from the water.”

Once the carbon filters become saturated with the chemicals, they will be transported to Georgia, where the carbon is reactivated in high-temperature furnaces, Aqua Pennsylvania officials said.

Construction is slated to begin in the coming months and is expected to be completed by 2028.

To make room for the new infrastructure, crews will demolish an existing circular basin at the site, which sits not far from Neshaminy High School and the Neshaminy Mall.

The new facilities will be built within the plant’s existing fenced perimeter and are designed to match the current architectural style.

Officials noted the project will not increase the site’s impervious area or disturb the riparian buffer along Neshaminy Creek.

Aqua Pennsylvania plans to keep the same staffing for the upgraded facility once work is complete.

Aqua Pennsylvania is currently seeking state grant funding to help finance the $1.7 million construction project.

While located within Middletown Township’s borders, the Neshaminy Water Treatment Plant does not serve the township’s residents.

Aqua Pennsylvania supplies water to customers in Bensalem Township, Bristol Borough, and portions of Bristol Township.

Middletown Township residents receive their water from various providers depending on their location. The water providers are the Bucks County Water and Sewer Authority, Lower Bucks County Joint Municipal Authority, or the Newtown Artesian Water Company.