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Infrastructure Investment and Environmental Operation Ensures Continued Sustainability

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^{Published in Business and Finance on Thursday, March 24th 2011 at 5:35 GMT by Market Wire}  

BRYN MAWR, Pa.--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--Aqua America, Inc. (NYSE: WTR) Chairman Nicholas DeBenedictis said that Aqua Americaa™s substantial and consistent investment in water and wastewater infrastructure coupled with the inherent environmental nature of its operations is directly responsible for the companya™s sustainability, the success of which is being celebrated this year as the company celebrates its 125^th anniversary. The comments were made late yesterday afternoon during a presentation DeBenedictis made at the Janney Montgomery Scott Water Industry Summit in New York City

"We understand that a key component to our sustainability is our capital investment program that has allowed us to continue to provide quality drinking water and reliable service to an increasing number of customers over the past century."

aGod continues to give us the water for free, but has left the cost of laying the pipe and building the treatment facilities to us,a said DeBenedictis. aOur company was founded in 1886 when our predecessorsa"driven by concerns for the environment and public healtha"assumed that responsibility, building a treatment plant to clean the water for drinking and laying the pipes to deliver it to homes and businesses.a

Aqua America is celebrating its 125^th year of operations this year. DeBenedictis credits much of the companya™s sustainability with its capital program, which was nearly $1.4 billion over the last five years (2006 a" 2010). aWea™ve been able to maintain our capital program, which currently hovers around $300 million, by taking advantage of low-interest financing available to the company as a result of its strong balance sheet and credit rating. Aqua Pennsylvania, our largest subsidiary, enjoys an A+ credit rating from Standard & Poora™s,a said DeBenedictis.

One of the benefits our shareholders have enjoyed as a result of our sound financial management is our dividend, which has been sustained consecutively for 65 years. Aqua America has been recognized consistently as a Mergent dividend achiever. Mergent annually recognizes companies for increasing their dividend for 10 or more consecutive years. Aqua America has increased its dividend 20 times in the last 19 years, and over the past 10 years has increased the dividend an average of over seven percent annually.

DeBenedictis said he fully expects Aqua America to provide services to a continuously growing number of customers well into the future. aWe understand that a key component to our sustainability is our capital investment program that has allowed us to continue to provide quality drinking water and reliable service to an increasing number of customers over the past century.a

Aqua America is planning an update to its current sustainability report, which can be found on its web site: [ www.aquaamerica.com ].

Aqua America, Inc. is a publicly traded water and wastewater utility holding company with operating subsidiaries serving approximately three million people in Pennsylvania, Ohio, North Carolina, Illinois, Texas, New Jersey, New York, Indiana, Florida, Virginia, Maine, Missouri, and Georgia. Aqua America is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol WTR.

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