Tidewater Utilities Announces Strategy for Compliance With New EPA PFAS Regulation

DOVER, Del., April 15, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tidewater Utilities, Inc., (Tidewater) a wholly owned subsidiary of Middlesex Water Company (NASDAQ: MSEX), is prepared to comply with the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s new drinking water standard for certain PFAS (Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl substances) that was announced on April 10, 2024; and is expected to be effective in 2029. PFAS are a group of widely used, man-made chemicals, used in industry and consumer products like non-stick cookware, water-repellent clothing and food packaging since the 1940s.

The EPA’s new regulations create a new national requirement for regulating six PFAS compounds found in the nation’s drinking water supply and establishes a new Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for PFOS and PFOA at 4 parts per trillion (4 ppt). 

“We support new EPA standards that protect the health and safety of our customers. In anticipation of new federal standards for PFAS, Tidewater had implemented a mitigation strategy and has been performing voluntary sampling of all of our 175 wells for several years,” said Bruce E. Patrick, Tidewater President. “We have proactively installed ion exchange resin for PFAS treatment at four locations. We continue to monitor our water supplies to ensure compliance with the new EPA regulations. Should additional treatment be necessary based on future water sampling results, we have the technical expertise to implement any necessary plant upgrades needed for compliance. We are fully committed to continue delivering a safe and reliable water supply to the Delaware residents and businesses that rely on us for their water services,” added Patrick.

About Tidewater Utilities, Inc.
Tidewater, together with its wholly owned subsidiary, Southern Shores, provides water services to approximately 59,000 retail customers for residential, commercial and fire protection purposes in over 470 separate communities in Delaware. The company is proud to deliver safe drinking water as southern Delaware’s premier water company and serves to support the well-being of Delaware’s citizens, businesses, and natural resources.

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, among others, our long-term strategy and expectations, the status of our acquisition program, the impact of our acquisitions, the impact of current and projected rate requests and the impact of our capital program on our environmental compliance. There are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements including: general economic business conditions, unfavorable weather conditions, the success of certain cost-containment initiatives, changes in regulations or regulatory treatment, availability and the cost of capital, the success of growth initiatives and other factors discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Contact:
Bernadette Sohler, Vice President – Corporate Affairs
Middlesex Water Company
(732) 638-7549
www.middlesexwater.com