Aqua America North Carolina Subsidiary Expands Utility Operations.

CAREY, N.C. -- Aqua North Carolina, Inc. (Aqua)--a subsidiary of Aqua America, Inc. (NYSE:WTR)--announced today that it recently completed the purchase of the water system assets of Craven Water Works in Rowan County and the water systems assets of Crabtree Water Systems in Lincoln and Catawba counties.

The Craven system, which serves 144 residents, was for purchased for $41,500. Aqua has plans to drill a second well for water supply and make other capital improvements totaling more than $35,000, over the next five years.

The Crabtree water systems, which serve nearly 200 residents, carried a purchase price of $21,500. The company plans to invest $54,000 over the next five years on upgrades to this system, including the installation of new meters and the upgrade of water storage capabilities.

"These systems play important roles in the company's growth-through-acquisition strategy," said Aqua President Neil Phillips. "The purchase of these types of systems often leads to additional growth opportunities by expanding our local service territory and putting us in the strategic position to serve other nearby systems."

Aqua's North Carolina operations make it the largest private water utility in North Carolina. Its parent company, Aqua America, is the largest U.S.-based publicly-traded water utility serving more than 2.5 million residents in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Texas, New Jersey, Indiana, Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, Maine, Missouri, New York and South Carolina. Aqua America is listed on both the New York and Philadelphia Stock Exchanges under the ticker symbol WTR. The company has been committed to the preservation and improvement of the environment throughout its history, which spans more than 100 years.