New initiatives reducing company's environmental impact
BRYN MAWR, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Aqua America, Inc. (NYSE: WTR) announced today at its annual meeting of
shareholders that it has updated its sustainability report, citing many
improvements in its efforts to ensure the sustainability of its
operations, which are celebrating their 125th year, and to
protect the environment.
"We've made a several capital investments since the report was first
published last year that have enhanced our environmental efforts and
which are highlighted in this year's updated report," said Aqua America
Chairman and CEO Nicholas DeBenedictis. "Our company was founded 125
years ago by college professors out of their concern for public health
and the environment. The fact that 125 years later, Aqua America
utilities remain viable, continuing to provide a vital natural resource
and service to an increasing number of customers, speaks volumes about
the prudency and sustainability of the company's capital investment
program throughout that time."
The infrastructure improvement program in its largest distribution
network (southeastern Pennsylvania) is credited with helping to keep
Aqua Pennsylvania's unaccounted water (lost between the plant and the
customer's tap) and the number of main breaks per 100 miles below the
national average despite acquiring operating systems with mains more
than 100 years old.
Aqua Pennsylvania's Roaring Creek treatment plant received the Phase III
Directors Award of Recognition from the Partnership for Safe Water, a
national volunteer initiative developed by the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), the American Water Works Association and other water
organizations. Aqua's Roaring Creek plant is one of just 53 surface
water treatment plants in Pennsylvania to be presented the award.
A new treatment system at its Neshaminy water treatment plant uses a
combination of UV-oxidation and hydrogen peroxide to help fight the
aesthetic impact of algae blooms. The environmental benefit of the new
treatment system is expected to reduce the plant's carbon footprint from
29 million kilograms to 7.5 million kilograms over 20 years, and cut its
residual waste in half, primarily by eliminating the need for powdered
activated carbon. At two other Pennsylvania water treatment facilities,
the new use of belt filter presses are decreasing the amount of water
left in treatment residuals, cutting the disposal volume in half and
thereby, extending the life of disposal sites.
Aqua Maine's new Mirror Lake treatment plant, which uses membrane
filtration, employs a combination of solar thermal and a photovoltaic
energy system to reduce purchased power consumption by up to 80,000 kWh
annually. The Mirror Lake plant has one of Maine's largest solar
facilities.
Collectively, Aqua America subsidiaries operate more than 250 wastewater
treatment plants, about 15 percent of which provide high quality treated
effluent for reuse. The company's total fleet includes 1,250 service
vehicles. Between 2009 and 2010, the company increased its fuel mileage,
reduced its driving miles by 44,000 miles, its fuel consumption by
58,000 gallons, all while servicing 9,200 more customers.
In addition to the sustainable operations initiatives, the company has
also introduced paperless billing, which offers customers the option to
receive electronic statements and, or pay their bills on line.
The report focuses primarily on Aqua America's Pennsylvania subsidiary,
which is the largest and oldest of its operating units, accounting for
more than half of the company's revenue and nearly half of its customer
base, and can be found on the company's Web site at www.aquaamerica.com.
Aqua America, Inc. is a publicly traded water and wastewater utility
holding company with operating subsidiaries serving approximately 3
million people in Pennsylvania, Ohio, North Carolina, Illinois, Texas,
New Jersey, New York, Indiana, Florida, Virginia, Maine, Missouri, and
Georgia. Aqua America is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the
ticker symbol WTR.
WTRG
Aqua America, Inc.
Donna Alston
Director, Communications
610-645-1095
dpalston@aquaamerica.com
or
Brian
Dingerdissen
Director, Investor Relations
610-645-1191
bjdingerdissen@aquaamerica.com
Source: Aqua America, Inc.
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