In any community, water is vital for growth, renewal, and life. And that’s precisely the role Pennsylvania American Water plays in many communities across Pennsylvania, including Coatesville.

“Everyone in this city is a part of us rising and moving forward together, and Pennsylvania American Water is a large part of it,” said Roberto Cosentino, Assistant City Manager of Coatesville.

George “Bud” Thomas, Field Operations Supervisor of Pennsylvania American Water explains that while most people think clean water access is as simple as turning on the tap, the process is much more involved.

In fact, as the Commonwealth’s largest regulated water utility, Pennsylvania American Water is a recognized leader in providing communities with high-quality drinking water and reliable wastewater service. There are dedicated wastewater professionals who bring a broad range of experience in the treatment, collection, compliance, and operation of wastewater systems.

“Pennsylvania American Water has been in the Coatesville area for going on 23 years, and we’ve invested $200 million to make sure that that infrastructure is in place to provide that service for everybody in Coatesville,” said Pennsylvania American Water President Justin Ladner. “We just finished a significant water system upgrade, and now we’re working on a wastewater [plant].”

In addition to providing clean, safe, reliable water service to the Coatesville community, Pennsylvania American Water strives to engage residents and the area’s youth.

“We’re not just a utility partner within our community; we do various outreaches trying to get so many younger folks to understand what we do,” said Thomas.

One way Pennsylvania American Water does this is by holding its “Wonderful World of Water Day Camp” in the summer to teach children ages 7-11 water and watershed basics and how human impact on land affects water quality in rivers and streams, as well as discovering solutions to water pollution.

“Every year as a part of our camp, we actually take the kids to the wastewater facility,” said Jarvis Berry, Executive Director of the Coatesville Youth Initiative. “One kid, when we went into the laboratory, really got to talking with one of the technicians there. He said, ‘Wow, I didn’t realize there were these kinds of jobs,’ and that is really huge for the future [of these kids] and the future of our planet.”

Another way the utility company has had a massive impact on the growth of the Coatesville community youth is by installing a splash pad at Palmer Park (made possible via a grant through the American Water Charitable Foundation).

Located on the eastern edge of Coatesville, Palmer Park is a compact one-acre neighborhood park. The recently constructed play area, shaped by community input, is a contemporary replacement for a disused swimming pool. It embraces an inventive approach to encourage natural play and foster environmental stewardship.

The recently developed play space features a splash-pad-area equipped with seven water elements that flow into a brief, artificially created stream leading to a shallow wading zone bordered by rocks. The source of the stream begins at a circular plaza surrounded by benches. Additionally, there are seven “nature play” attractions, including an embankment slide, post hop, web climber, tension line, log balance, stump jump, and branch climber. The splash pad has been a highlight for local children since its opening in 2019 to beat the heat and humidity of summer.

Most importantly, the splash pad at Palmer Park represents economic development and shows the wonderful things that can be achieved when the community, businesses, and government unite.

“Palmer Park is representative of everything that we are trying to do in the city; we’re trying to create a safe space that people can enjoy together that they can be proud of and feel like they deserve,” said Cosentino.

From water access in homes to splash pad play areas for children to the burgeoning business and restaurant landscape of Coatesville, there is one key ingredient to success: a clean, reliable water source.

Pennsylvania American Water understands this necessity for the revitalization efforts of the Coatesville community and has spent years putting in new pipes and upgrading what is basically a 100-year-old infrastructure.

“Pennsylvania American Water is crucial in [Coatesville’s] revitalization,” said Phil Ferro, a Restaurant Owner in Coatesville. “Having a good, clean water source is key to serving the public.”

Ultimately, Pennsylvania American Water’s mission while revitalizing communities is to ensure residents feel part of the revitalization.

“We want to give the generations of folks who have been here for so long an opportunity to stay,” said Amber Little-Turner, Executive Director, Coatesville 2nd Century Alliance.

Pennsylvania American Water does this by offering customer assistance programs for those experiencing financial hardship, and for more than 30 years, it has been assisting customers who qualify through its H2O Help to Others Program™. Grants are funded through a corporate donation ($750,000 per year) and customer and employee donations.

“We’re very focused on affordability, and I’m proud of the assistance programs that Pennsylvania American Water has prioritized,” said Ladner. “I encourage everybody to reach out to our website to ensure they fully avail themselves of all those opportunities. Pennsylvania American Water strives to be a citizen where we serve, and we very much engage with the local communities.”

Learn more about Pennsylvania American Water and the vital role it contributes to the rise of Pennsylvania communities like Coatesville.