About
We strive to improve quality of life and economic prosperity by safely and
reliably delivering earth’s most essential resources.
About Essential
About Essential
Essential Utilities Inc. is one of the largest publicly traded water, wastewater and natural gas providers in the U.S. We are a champion of communities, people and the environment, creating solutions to ensure the provision of clean and safe natural resources for life, and serving 5.5 million people across nine states under our Aqua and Peoples brands.
With each utility lending more than 130 years of experience, Essential is committed to proactive infrastructure investment, regulatory expertise, operational efficiency and environmental stewardship. We believe our nation’s water and gas infrastructure need new thinking and new investments to overcome the challenges of a changing climate and years of neglect.
With a nation of crumbling water systems and aging pipelines in need of modernization, we are passionate about investing in infrastructure and bringing new energy solutions to communities, while delivering continued return on investment to shareholders.
We are grounded in a deep-rooted purpose that empowers people to live better lives. Integrity, respect and excellence are the core values that guide us. We put the wellbeing of our customers and communities at the heart of all we do, while preserving the culture of trust and safety for our employees. We recognize the importance water and natural gas play in everyday life and are proud to deliver clean, safe, reliable services for the greater good of the communities we serve.
We are Essential – providing natural resources for life.
Utilities
Mission
To sustain life and improve economic prosperity by safely and reliably delivering Earth’s most essential resources to our customers and communities.
Vision
To enhance the quality of life in the communities we serve through sustainable and reliable utility services. Our vision is centered around delivering safe, clean water and natural gas while promoting environmental stewardship and community engagement. Essential Utilities is uniquely positioned to strengthen our communities by renewing and improving infrastructure, delivering excellent service, acting as stewards of the environment, enhancing economic development, and making charitable contributions. We are committed to attracting and nurturing a workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve and to providing fair and equitable opportunities for all employees. We’re dedicated to working safely and managing our operations sustainably to protect each other and our environment. We believe our efforts will bring value to our customers, employees and shareholders and enable us to continue to fulfill our mission. Together, we will make a difference for generations to come.
A Message from the Chairman & CEO
A Message from the CEO
As careful stewards of the environment, we actively pursue business strategies that are sustainable for our company and the communities we serve, and we are firmly dedicated to ethical corporate governance. These ideals are not tangential to our operations; they are foundational to a high-performing utility like ours. This approach has proven to be successful for Essential Utilities for well over a century and will continue.
The communities we serve trust us to provide clean, safe, reliable water and natural gas, and responsibly manage wastewater treatment and redistribution. We must and will do what is necessary to meet these commitments with excellence.
I invite you to learn more about our recent efforts by reading our 2024 Sustainability Report, watching this video, and monitoring our sustainability website for updates. We are proud of all we’ve accomplished in these important areas and eager to share our future aspirations and plans.
Christopher H. Franklin
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
About This Report
About this Report
This is Essential Utilities’ Sustainability Report for the calendar year 2024. Data in this report reflects the company as of December 31, 2024, unless otherwise noted, and includes information for the entirety of 2024 for the water, wastewater and natural gas utilities that comprise Essential.
This 2024 Sustainability Report integrates various reporting frameworks, including those put forth by the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB). For more information and to access additional reporting, please visit Sustainability.Essential.co.
Forward-Looking Statements
This report 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” 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 report. Such forward- looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the capital to be invested by the water, wastewater, and gas distribution divisions of the company. 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 are 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.