Overview

Aqua Pennsylvania, Inc. (Aqua) provides water and wastewater services to more than 3 million people across eight states. They perform 300,000 tests on 30,000 water samples annually.

The original lab at Aqua’s corporate headquarters had served the company for more than 60 years, but with marked advancements in testing science, Aqua undertook an $8M expansion of their laboratory to keep pace with continually evolving testing parameters and regulations.

Following conceptual design, we worked with a lead architect to provide mechanical and electrical design for the 14,700 sq. ft. addition that more than doubled the size of the existing lab. We also provided assistance with construction administration including bidding services and coordination with the electrical and mechanical contractors.

In the 1970s there were 23 regulated contaminants in drinking water. By the year 2000, that number had increased to 90. In addition, measurements went from parts per million to parts per trillion – a million-fold increase.

The new 2-story state-of-art laboratory will allow Aqua to perform cutting edge testing using 50 different analytical methods to test for 240 different water quality parameters including testing related to emerging concerns about contamination from the PFAS family of chemicals in drinking water. Entech provided mechanical and electrical design that accommodated the extensive specialized equipment needed.

Due to restrictions from the local Township, the building height, including the equipment on the roof, of the lab was limited. Careful coordination between architectural, structural, mechanical and electrical design was needed to incorporate all the required rooftop equipment and meet the Township’s guidelines. The mechanical design required extensive ductwork throughout the new facility, including the roof, for the large number of fume hoods needed.

Following the year-long project, Aqua is poised to respond to evolving regulations as they continue to acquire more customers. The testing capabilities of the new facility ensure that the drinking water they deliver is safe and the treated wastewater is returned to our waters cleaner than when it was delivered to customers for drinking water.