Aqua reports earthy or musty water taste in Delaware County
The utility says the water meets drinking-water standards and expects treatment changes to resolve the issue within several days. No boil order was issued.
By MarpleNewtown.online Daily Desk · ·
What changed
Aqua Pennsylvania posted a September 21 notice saying some customers in Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties have reported earthy or musty-tasting water. The utility says its regular laboratory testing shows the water meets state and federal drinking-water standards. Separately, Delaware County's September 21 upset-sale list is down to six Marple records and one Newtown record.
Current status
Active taste-and-odor notice; not a boil-water advisory. Aqua says treatment changes are underway and expects the issue to resolve within several days. The seven local tax-sale records are scheduled for sale, not sold.
Responsible body and meeting date
Aqua Pennsylvania; Delaware County Tax Claim Bureau.
Aqua notice dated September 21, 2026; upset sale scheduled September 24, 2026 at 10 a.m.
How they voted
No recorded vote.
What the record says
- Aqua says some customers in Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties are experiencing an earthy or musty taste.
- The notice does not identify the affected water system, municipalities, streets, start time or customer count.
- Aqua attributes the taste to naturally occurring source-water compounds, says regular testing shows compliance with drinking-water standards and reports that treatment has been adjusted.
- No boil-water advisory was issued. Aqua's August 29 lift of the earlier Marple boil-water advisory remains effective, so normal water use is authorized.
- The county's September 21 upset-sale list contains six Marple records totaling $72,417.87 and one Newtown record totaling $7,447.60. That is eight fewer local records and $34,277.68 less listed as due than September 17.
- Newtown Municipal Authority's September 21 agenda listed $674,917.34 in bills, $2,778.46 in recurring bills, a $58,006.24 bond-interest payment and a refinancing update, but official outcomes are not yet posted.
- Marple's September 24 Planning Commission meeting remains scheduled for 7 p.m.; no meeting packet was posted in the Agenda Center at this morning's review.
Why it matters
Residents need to distinguish an aesthetic taste-and-odor issue from a health advisory. Property owners also face a September 24 tax-sale deadline, while the shrinking list shows why inclusion should never be reported as a completed sale.
“Why?” questions officials should answer
- Which Aqua system, municipalities and streets are affected, when did the condition begin and how many customers reported it?
- What compounds were detected, at what concentrations, and when will Aqua confirm that taste and odor have returned to normal?
- Why were eight local records removed from the upset-sale list since September 17, and how many will remain on the final sale-day list?
- What refinancing principal, rate, fees and net savings did Newtown Municipal Authority discuss or approve?
Comparable prior decisions
Important differences:
Consistency review
The taste-and-odor issue is not described as contamination or a boil-water advisory. Aqua's source attribution is reported as the utility's explanation. The tax-sale list is a schedule, not proof of sale or of why any record was removed. A school-board agenda was withheld from publication pending independent conflict review.
Deadlines and what to track next
- September 22, 9 a.m.: Delaware County Board of Elections meeting; verify polling-place and drop-box actions.
- September 23: Recheck Marple and Newtown September 24 Planning records for complete packets.
- September 24, 10 a.m.: Delaware County upset sale; verify the final list and sale outcome.
- September 24, 7 p.m.: scheduled Marple Planning Commission meeting.
Official sources
Secondary context
None used. This report relies on official records only.
Updates and corrections log
No corrections or substantive updates have been made since publication.