West Goshen and West Whiteland residents who get their drinking water from the Hollow Run Well will see a new PFAS filtration system installed there by fall 2027, funded by a $13.5 million state financing package approved by the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST).

PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (often called "forever chemicals"), have drawn increasing regulatory scrutiny for their persistence in drinking water.

The money covers treatment systems at both the Hollow Run Well and the Embreeville Well in western Chester County. Aqua Pennsylvania, the Bryn Mawr-based utility that operates both sites, said the projects will bring the wells into compliance with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency drinking water standards. The utility said its systems already meet Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection PFAS limits, but the new construction is driven by stricter federal EPA requirements.

The $13.5 million package is significantly larger than a $1.57 million PENNVEST loan for the Hollow Run Well reported in mid-July. It is part of a $74.3 million statewide award to Aqua Pennsylvania consisting of principal-forgiveness and low-interest loans for PFAS infrastructure.

Aqua Pennsylvania said the three well sites funded by the package, Hollow Run, Embreeville and Oak Hill Well 3 in Luzerne County, serve nearly 5,700 customers combined.

Aqua Pennsylvania President Marc Lucca said the utility has pursued outside funding to limit rate increases. "Our team has been aggressive in its commitment to pursue alternative funding to lessen the financial burden on our customers," Lucca stated in the announcement.

The Chester County wells are not Aqua's only local infrastructure work. The utility is running a $29.3 million water main replacement program in Chester County in 2026, replacing eight miles of aging pipe, and has completed lead service line replacements at more than 500 West Chester homes through PENNVEST funding, according to a July 22 report by VISTA.Today.

Since 2021, Aqua Pennsylvania has secured more than $270 million in PENNVEST financing statewide, with more than $260 million of that coming since 2024, a pace that reflects accelerated state investment as federal PFAS standards tightened.

Aqua Pennsylvania said construction at both the Hollow Run and Embreeville wells should be complete by fall 2027. No public comment period or hearing date has been announced for the projects.