Essential Foundation Contributes $20,000 to Helping Hand Assistance Program

Donation will assist customer bill payments across Pennsylvania

BRYN MAWR, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Essential Utilities announced today that the Essential Foundation has contributed $20,000 to Aqua Pennsylvania’s Helping Hand assistance program. The customer aid program, which is managed through the Community Action Agency of Delaware County, will assist Pennsylvania customers with paying their water and wastewater utility bills.

The Essential Foundation gives back to the communities where the company operates and contributions from the Essential Foundation are granted to organizations that improve quality of life with a focus on community-based nonprofit organizations within Essential’s footprint.

“We are proud to support Aqua Pennsylvania’s Helping Hand program through the Essential Foundation,” said Essential Chairman and CEO Christopher Franklin. “At Essential, we know that water is a precious resource – one that plays a critical role in sustaining life. With many individuals facing difficulties during the pandemic, CAADC has partnered with our Pennsylvania subsidiary since the inception of this program several years ago, effectively helping our customers in times of need, and perhaps most importantly, providing them with information that helps them lower their bills by identifying leaks and practices that increase their bill unnecessarily.”

Helping Hand is Aqua Pennsylvania’s customer assistance program designed to enable low-income customers to make manageable monthly payments on their water and wastewater bills. Once customers are deemed eligible, they are directed to a local agency, like the Community Action Agency of Delaware County, to continue enrollment. Customers who make timely adjusted payments through Helping Hand receive a monthly credit toward their arrears. The program also provides customers with water conservation kits with water saving devices and information on water-saving tips.

“We are incredibly grateful for the Essential Foundation’s contribution to the Helping Hand program,” said Aqua Vice President of Customer Operations Georgetta Parisi. “We take our commitment to our communities seriously and understand how important it is to give back. We know that customers will greatly benefit from the bill assistance during this pandemic and are appreciative of donations like this, which help to sustain the program.”

“With the COVID-19 pandemic impacting everyday life, we thank you for your continued support,” said Community Action Agency of Delaware County CEO Edward Coleman in a letter sent to Essential. “Services to families and children are a high priority of CAADC. As a private, non-profit agency, we rely on the support of concerned and caring organizations like yours to make this important work possible.”

To learn more about Aqua Pennsylvania’s Helping Hand program, please visit Aqua's website.

About Aqua Pennsylvania

Aqua Pennsylvania serves approximately 1.4 million people in 32 counties throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Visit AquaAmerica.com for more information, or follow Aqua on Facebook at facebook.com/MyAquaAmerica and on Twitter at @MyAquaAmerica.

About Essential

Essential is one of the largest publicly traded water, wastewater and natural gas providers in the U.S., serving approximately 5 million people across 10 states under the Aqua and Peoples brands. Essential is committed to excellence in proactive infrastructure investment, regulatory expertise, operational efficiency and environmental stewardship. The company recognizes the importance water and natural gas play in everyday life and is proud to deliver safe, reliable services that contribute to the quality of life in the communities it serves. For more information, visit http://www.essential.co.

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