Open Letter to Shenandoah from Aqua Pennsylvania President Marc Lucca
To all customers in Aqua Pennsylvania’s Shenandoah service area,
Aqua Pennsylvania is committed to delivering safe and reliable drinking water to its customers. We would like to address the recent incident that occurred in Shenandoah and outline the measures Aqua implemented to resolve the situation and improve reliability in the future.
When emergencies arise, such as the incident on Monday, February 16 in Shenandoah, our immediate priority is to address the issue. Some customers were without water, while many others experienced low pressure but maintained service. Aqua swiftly mobilized crews from Shenandoah and across the state, gathering more than 40 employees and contractors onsite, and remotely to help resolve the situation. We deployed these resources rapidly, in search of the source of the leak that caused a system-wide Boil Water Advisory.
Our team of dedicated men and women worked tirelessly to pinpoint the source of the leak responsible for the disruption. Leak detection is a slow methodical process that requires significant effort when dealing with a water system in a geographically complex area. In fact, we found and repaired 14 pipe leaks throughout the event. Late in the evening on Wednesday, February 18 Aqua crews and the borough discovered that a service line ruptured inside an abandoned store on N. Main Street. We moved quickly to stop the leak, and Aqua’s system began to recover. In turn, we were able to return normal water service to our customers.
The health and safety of everyone in the community is of utmost importance. Aqua followed protocol established by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection before getting their approval to lift the Boil Water Advisory for the entire Shenandoah Service area. Steps included analysis at Aqua Pennsylvania’s state certified laboratory in Bryn Mawr which expedited the process. The advisory was officially lifted on Saturday, February 21 around 3:00 p.m.
We know this was an inconvenience for our customers and we thank you for your patience and understanding.
Aqua Pennsylvania acquired the Shenandoah water system in July 2023. Since that time, we have invested nearly $8.5 million in infrastructure repairs and upgrades to the aging system. But more needs to be done given the age of the infrastructure and its poor condition. We remain dedicated to making those improvements to the system so that we can provide high quality service for years to come.
We want you to know you can count on Aqua Pennsylvania 24/7, 365 days a year. Our mission is to protect and provide Earth’s most essential resource. It is a responsibility we take seriously, and we will never stop putting our customers’ needs first.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve your community,
Marc A. Lucca,
President, Aqua Pennsylvania
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