The Ohio subsidiary of Bryn Mawr-based Aqua America Inc. is set to buy Campbell, Ohio’s water treatment plant and distribution system for $7.5 million. The system serves approximately 3,200 connections.
Closing of the sale is anticipated in late 2019 upon approval by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.
“This purchase will enable Aqua to bring benefits to the Campbell community by leveraging expertise in compliance, large-scale purchasing power and other efficiencies that can be realized with a larger, combined regional operation,” said Aqua America Chairman and CEO Christopher Franklin. “Purchasing private and municipally owned systems is about more than growth. It allows us to do our part to strengthen water and wastewater infrastructure in the communities we serve, something that’s vitally important for the future. At the same time, proceeds from the sale of a water or wastewater system can enable municipal leaders to pursue other important initiatives in their communities.”
Aqua Ohio President Ed Kolodziej said Aqua will invest an estimated $4.3 million in the water system to enhance water quality, reliability, and regulatory and environmental standards.
Last year, Aqua completed municipal acquisitions in the Village of Manteno, Illinois; Limerick Township, Pennsylvania; the Village of Peotone, Illinois; East Bradford Township, Pennsylvania; and the Tredyffrin Township Municipal Authority’s Valley Creek Trunk Sewer System in Pennsylvania. Including Campbell, Ohio, Aqua now has eight pending water and wastewater acquisitions under agreement totaling about 22,600 customer connections, which are expected to close in 2019 or 2020. Additionally, Aqua has signed a letter of intent with the Delaware County Regional Water Quality Control Authority, the large wastewater system that serves approximately 500,000 people in 42 municipalities in Delaware and Chester counties, Pennsylvania.
Aqua America is the second-largest publicly traded water utility based in the U.S., and serves more than 3 million people in Pennsylvania, Ohio, North Carolina, Illinois, Texas, New Jersey, Indiana and Virginia.
