MECHANICSBURG, CUMBERLAND CO. (WOLF) — Pennsylvania American Water customers are receiving another credit on their water bills as money recovered from manufacturers of so-called “forever chemicals” is returned to customers.
The company says a $6.13 credit was applied July 27 to every active water customer account as of July 24.
The latest payment brings the total amount returned through PFAS-related legal settlements to $36.89 per customer account.
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a large group of manufactured chemicals that have been used for decades in products including nonstick cookware, stain-resistant materials, waterproof clothing and firefighting foam. The chemicals break down extremely slowly and can persist in the environment.
Why are customers getting money?
Pennsylvania American Water has participated in litigation against companies that manufactured PFAS.
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission previously approved a special PFAS Litigation Universal Credit Rider allowing the utility to distribute the net proceeds it receives from that litigation directly to customers.
Under the PUC-approved mechanism, settlement proceeds, minus legal fees and costs, are divided among customers as Pennsylvania American Water receives the money. Additional litigation could result in future settlements or judgments and potentially additional credits.
The $6.13 credit is the latest installment, rather than a refund tied to an individual customer’s water quality.
Pennsylvania American Water specifically notes that receiving a PFAS credit does not mean PFAS was detected in that customer’s drinking water.
PFAS has been an issue in NEPA
The issue has also resulted in millions of dollars of water-treatment projects in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
In Frackville, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania American Water completed approximately $10 million in upgrades to its treatment plant, including a system designed to remove PFAS.
That facility serves approximately 2,500 customers in Frackville and portions of Butler, New Castle, Mahanoy and West Mahanoy townships. The treatment improvements went into operation in 2023.
Before those improvements, Pennsylvania American Water reported that Frackville’s water was still below Pennsylvania’s regulatory limits. Its 2023 water-quality report showed average PFOA levels were nondetectable and average PFOS levels were 13.2 parts per trillion.
Significantly larger PFAS projects are also underway elsewhere in NEPA.
$25 million project serving Columbia and Luzerne counties
Pennsylvania American Water received more than $25 million in state financing for PFAS treatment improvements at its Berwick water treatment plant, which serves 6,721 households in five municipalities in Columbia and Luzerne counties.
Plans call for construction of a new treatment plant using granular activated carbon filters to remove PFAS from drinking water.
Another Pennsylvania American Water project in Mount Pocono, Monroe County, received more than $5 million in state financing.
That project calls for a new treatment facility at the Pine Hill well station using granular activated carbon to remove PFAS while also addressing iron and manganese in the water.
Pennsylvania has its own PFAS limits
Pennsylvania established enforceable drinking-water limits for two of the best-known PFAS chemicals in 2023.
The state limit is 14 parts per trillion for PFOA and 18 parts per trillion for PFOS.
Public water systems are required to monitor for the chemicals, and exceeding the maximum contaminant level triggers public-notification requirements.
Pennsylvania American Water says its systems currently comply with applicable PFAS drinking-water standards.
The company says it plans to spend approximately $321 million expanding PFAS treatment across multiple Pennsylvania water systems.
That spending is part of a much larger infrastructure program. The PUC recently approved a rate increase for Pennsylvania American Water that took effect Aug. 13. The typical residential water customer’s bill increased by approximately $3 per month, with the company citing infrastructure needs including PFAS treatment, replacement of aging water mains and removal of lead service lines.
For customers, the latest PFAS settlement credit therefore represents money being recovered from manufacturers and returned through bills while the utility continues spending hundreds of millions of dollars to meet increasingly stringent drinking-water requirements