Acquisition reflects company’s commitment to providing highest quality drinking water service

Essential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE:WTRG) announced today its Aqua New Jersey subsidiary has finalized its $113,000 purchase of the water system assets of the Lake Tamarack Water Corporation in Sussex County. The system serves approximately 255 customers in the Lake Tamarack portion of Hardyston Township. The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJ BPU) approved the acquisition on September 9, 2026.

"We are well positioned to make much needed improvements to this system in order to ensure the highest-quality drinking water service," said Essential Utilities Chairman & CEO Christopher Franklin. "We are happy to welcome the Lake Tamarack community to the Essential family."

Aqua New Jersey has identified the need to invest approximately $1.4 million in the system over the next several years. Necessary upgrades will be made to strengthen water infrastructure. Aqua will also invest in improving system operations and meeting regulatory, environmental, and cybersecurity demands. Customers will also benefit from improved customer service and access to Aqua’s ePortal and mobile app to pay bills, track usage and more.

"Residents of Lake Tamarack will now be able to benefit from a level of service, resources, and responsiveness that was not available to them before," said Aqua New Jersey President Natalie Chesko. "Our team of dedicated employees is committed to providing safe, reliable drinking water, and we look forward to serving this community for years to come."

"We’re excited about this sale and confident in Aqua New Jersey’s ability to deliver high-quality water service," said Lake Tamarack Water Corporation President Anne-Marie Wilhelm. "Aqua’s level of service has been outstanding throughout this process. They have treated our community with respect, provided outstanding support, and demonstrated the expertise and resources needed to modernize our system and ensure a smooth transition."

As part of the transition, residents can expect to receive communication from Aqua New Jersey outlining service schedules and procedures.

About Aqua New Jersey

Aqua New Jersey serves approximately 195,000 people in 11 counties throughout the Garden State. Visit AquaWater.com for more information or follow @MyAquaWater on Facebook and X.

About Essential

Essential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE:WTRG) delivers safe, clean, reliable services that improve quality of life for individuals, families, and entire communities. With a focus on water, wastewater and natural gas, Essential is committed to sustainable growth, operational excellence, a superior customer experience, and premier employer status. We are advocates for the communities we serve and are dedicated stewards of natural lands, protecting thousands of acres of forests and other habitats throughout our footprint. Operating as the Aqua and Peoples brands, Essential serves approximately 5.5 million people across nine states. Essential is one of the most significant publicly traded water, wastewater service and natural gas providers in the U.S. Learn more at www.essential.co.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which generally include words such as "believes," "expects," "intends," "anticipates," "estimates," "will" and similar expressions. The company can give no assurance that any actual or future results or events discussed in these statements will be achieved. Any forward-looking statements represent its views only as of today and should not be relied upon as representing its views as of any subsequent date. Readers are cautioned that such forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties that could cause the company’s actual results to differ materially from the statements contained in this release. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the capital, including the timing of capital, to be invested by the company, efficiencies and benefits created, and improvements to reliability. There are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements including the factors discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, which is filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For more information regarding risks and uncertainties associated with the company’s business, please refer to the company’s annual, quarterly and other SEC filings. The company is not under any obligation – and expressly disclaims any such obligation – to update or alter its forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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Media Contact:

Amanda Burge

Regional Communications Specialist

M: 610.329.2015

O: 610.520.6440

AEBurge@aquawater.com