Aqua Spending $31M To Upgrade Wastewater Treatment In Media

MEDIA, PA — Wastewater services in Media are getting upgrades thanks to a $31 million project from Aqua Pennsylvania.

Aqua Pennsylvania recently announced that it's investing $31 million in upgrades to its wastewater treatment plant in Upper Providence Township, which provides wastewater treatment to Media Borough.

These upgrades will improve reliability, serviceability and overall efficiency of the plant to handle incoming wastewater flows from the community.

The project will be completed in phases over four years.

Phase two of the project is underway and is expected to be completed in 2021. Phase three is expected to start in 2022.

The first phase of the project, which was started in June 2018 and completed in January 2020, was considered the most challenging due to the amount of activity taking place at the small work site. Multiple sections of the wastewater treatment plant were updated or replaced including a new operations building; secondary clarifiers, which is where waste solids are consumed by microorganisms; a pump station to move waste from the treatment process, to a basin where it is dried before disposal; ultraviolet treatment; flow-control structures; an upgraded power distribution system and new emergency generator.

Phase one upgrades benefit customers by ensuring the plant can handle incoming wastewater flows and storm water from major storm events like tropical storm Isaias, and allow for future growth in the area. The project improves the quality of the treated water that is discharged from the plant resulting in a positive environmental impact.

During phase one of the project, the Aqua team was also at work on numerous pipe replacement projects throughout Delaware County. Crews replaced more than 139,000 feet –26 miles – of pipe throughout the county, further assuring water quality, increasing service reliability and in many cases, increasing water flow throughout the communities it serves.