Total and other initiatives announced in company’s 2023 Community Impact Report

Essential Utilities (NYSE: WTRG) today released its 2023 Community Impact Report, announcing $5.5 million in giving to more than 450 organizations serving communities across its nine-state service territory last year. Of this total, $5 million was donated directly to 501(c)3 organizations. The company increased its charitable contributions by more than $1 million compared to 2022.

As a mission-based organization, Essential’s philanthropic efforts are led by its Essential Foundation to fund initiatives in health and human services, economic development, environmental protection, diversity and inclusion, education, and emergency services.

Below are two examples of the company’s most impactful community initiatives:

• Essential Earth Day: A month-long celebration of volunteer events, donations and educational opportunities centered around its mission to protect and provide Earth’s most essential resources.
  • 2023 results: The Foundation donated $500,000 to organizations focused on environmental protection. More than 420 employees volunteered 1,652 hours of their time, clearing 350 bags of litter and installing more than 1,200 trees and plants.
• Fall for Food Banks: An annual partnership program across the company’s service territory to support local food banks through charitable donations, food collections and volunteer events.
  • 2023 results: The Foundation distributed more than $300,000 to local food banks fighting hunger and raising awareness of food insecurity.

“We are extremely grateful to the Essential Foundation for investing in our mission to fight rising hunger rates and developing resources for Delaware County’s families,” said George Matysik, executive director of Share Food Program, a beneficiary of Fall for Food Banks. “Every single person in our region should have reliable access to good food, and partners like Essential are helping us make that a reality.”

Since 2020, the company has donated more than $18.6 million to organizations that support Essential's mission, vision and values and enhance quality of life for its customers.

“At Essential, we believe our success is inherently tied to the well-being of the communities we serve – that's why we’re so passionate about supporting organizations that align with our mission,” said Chris Franklin, Essential Utilities chairman and CEO. “The work we do through the Essential Foundation is an investment in a brighter future for everyone. I feel privileged that we can make such a meaningful difference to support our customers.”

Employee Volunteerism and Annual Giving Campaign

In 2023, employees from Essential, Aqua and Peoples volunteered more than 4,700 hours for organizations they are passionate about. Initiatives included packing 800 backpacks for children in the Philadelphia region and outfitting Pittsburgh-area children with warm clothes and shoes.

In addition to the Foundation’s donations, more than 2,000 employees across Essential and its subsidiaries, Aqua and Peoples, raised $400,000 through the company’s annual Employee Giving Campaign. Each dollar raised was matched by the Foundation for a grand total of $800,000 in donations to support the United Way and hundreds of deserving community organizations. The campaign provides an opportunity to build collective impact as a company, while encouraging employees to donate in a way that is meaningful to them.

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 more than 7,600 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.

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“The work we do through the Essential Foundation is an investment in a brighter future for everyone. I feel privileged that we can make such a meaningful difference to support our customers," said Chris Franklin, Essential Utilities chairman and CEO.