Pennsylvania American Water Applies for East Dunkard Water Authority Acquisition Approval

Follows court directed takeover of operations by Pennsylvania American Water for needed system improvements

Pennsylvania American Water filed an application today with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) seeking approval to acquire the East Dunkard Water Authority (EDWA) water system. Pennsylvania American Water signed an asset purchase agreement with EDWA to purchase its water system assets for $5 million in July 2023.

"Our application with the PUC is another milestone in restoring confidence among EDWA customers in the safety and reliability of their drinking water," said Justin Ladner, President of Pennsylvania American Water. "Under the court-ordered receivership, our team continues to make significant capital and operational improvements to bring the system into compliance."

Pennsylvania American Water took over EDWA's operations on February 8, 2024, following a directive from the Commonwealth Court and with the approval of the PUC. This decision was made because EDWA received several violations from the DEP during the past two years.

Over the past four months, Pennsylvania American Water has implemented a series of significant upgrades to EDWA’s water treatment plant. These include enhancing the plant’s four filter systems and optimizing plant operation, which operates with greater efficiency and longevity instead of shutting down multiple times daily. These upgrades have improved the reliability and quality of the drinking water.

Pennsylvania American Water has also been concentrating on improving EDWA’s distribution system, which has led to repairing 31 leaks, saving 4 million gallons of treated water during the same four-month period, upgrading a booster station, and implementing a flushing program to eliminate discolored water from the system.

Click here to watch a recently produced video about Pennsylvania American Water’s progress in bringing the EDWA system into compliance.

About Pennsylvania American Water Pennsylvania American Water, a subsidiary of American Water, is the largest regulated water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and wastewater services to approximately 2.3 million people.

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Gary Lobaugh (Western PA) Director, Government and External Affairs 724.873.3674