{"success":true,"data":{"pressRelease":{"id":"164840","rtpr_id":"nPn5tBqj2a-20261008","ticker":"AWK","exchange":"NYSE","all_tickers":["AWK","WTRG"],"title":"Brad Nielsen Named Future President of Pennsylvania American Water","author":"PR Newswire","published_at":"2026-10-08T20:10:00.431Z","article_body":"Brad Nielsen Named Future President of Pennsylvania American Water\nPR Newswire\n\nCAMDEN, N.J., Oct. 8, 2026\n\nCAMDEN, N.J., Oct. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- American Water (NYSE: AWK)\nannounced today that Brad Nielsen will become President of Pennsylvania\nAmerican Water upon the closing of American Water's proposed merger with\nEssential Utilities (NYSE: WTRG). Nielsen will lead all the operations within\nthe state of Pennsylvania and will report to Justin Ladner, who will serve as\nSenior Vice President, State Operations, for Pennsylvania, Missouri and\nIllinois.\n\n\"Brad is a proven leader with deep operational experience and a strong\ncommitment to our customers, employees and communities,\" said Cheryl Norton,\nExecutive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of American Water. \"His\ntrack record of leading high-performing teams and delivering safe, clean,\nreliable and affordable water service positions him well to lead Pennsylvania\nAmerican Water into its next chapter.\"\n\nNielsen currently serves as President of Iowa American Water, a position he\nhas held since July 2024. He joined Iowa American Water in 2019 as Vice\nPresident of Operations, leading a team of 80 employees who provide\nhigh-quality, reliable water service to approximately 225,000 people across\nIowa.\n\nNielsen brings more than 20 years of operations and leadership experience.\nBefore joining American Water, he spent 17 years with Aramark Uniform\nServices, where he held several leadership positions, including Vice President\nof Operations. He holds a bachelor's degree in finance and in business\nadministration and management from Mount Mercy University in Iowa.\n\nAmerican Water will begin the process of naming Nielsen's successor as\nPresident of Iowa American Water and will share additional information when\nthe selection is finalized.\n\nThe all-stock merger between American Water and Essential Utilities, announced\nOctober 27, 2025, will create a combined company serving more than 4.7 million\nwater and wastewater customer connections and more than 740,000 gas customer\nconnections. The combined company will operate under the American Water name\nand be headquartered in Camden, New Jersey.\n\nThe merger is expected to close by the end of the first quarter of 2027, but\nremains subject to customary closing conditions, including, among others,\nobtaining required regulatory approvals, including approval from the remaining\napplicable public utility commissions.\n\nFor additional details regarding the transaction, please visit\namericanwateressentialutilitiesmerger.com\n(https://edge.prnewswire.com/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=4792998-1&h=4055376267&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.americanwateressentialutilitiesmerger.com%2F&a=americanwateressentialutilitiesmerger.com)\n.\n\nAbout American Water\nAmerican Water (NYSE: AWK) is the largest regulated water and wastewater\nutility company in the United States. With a history dating back to 1886 and\ncelebrating 140 years in 2026, We Keep Life Flowing® by providing safe,\nclean, reliable and affordable drinking water and wastewater services to\napproximately 14 million people with regulated operations in 14 states and on\n19 military installations. American Water's approximately 7,000 talented\nprofessionals leverage their significant expertise and the company's national\nsize and scale to achieve excellent outcomes for the benefit of customers,\nemployees, investors and other stakeholders. For more information, visit\namwater.com and join American Water on LinkedIn, Facebook, X and Instagram.\n\nAbout Essential Utilities\nEssential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE: WTRG) delivers safe, clean, reliable services\nthat improve quality of life for individuals, families, and entire\ncommunities. With a focus on water, wastewater, and natural gas, Essential is\ncommitted to sustainable growth, operational excellence, a superior customer\nexperience, and premier employer status. We are advocates for the communities\nwe serve and are dedicated stewards of natural lands, protecting thousands of\nacres of forests and other habitats throughout our footprint.  Operating as\nthe Aqua and Peoples brands, Essential serves approximately 5.5 million people\nacross nine states. Essential is one of the most significant publicly traded\nwater, wastewater service and natural gas providers in the U.S. Learn more at\nwww.essential.co\n(https://edge.prnewswire.com/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=4792998-1&h=4125181279&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.essential.co%2F&a=www.essential.co)\n.\n\nCautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements\nCertain statements included in this communication are forward-looking\nstatements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as\namended, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and\nthe Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, these\nforward-looking statements can be identified by words with prospective\nmeanings such as \"intend,\" \"plan,\" \"estimate,\" \"believe,\" \"anticipate,\"\n\"expect,\" \"predict,\" \"project,\" \"propose,\" \"assume,\" \"forecast,\" \"outlook,\"\n\"future,\" \"likely,\" \"pending,\" \"goal,\" \"objective,\" \"potential,\" \"continue,\"\n\"seek to,\" \"may,\" \"can,\" \"will,\" \"should\" and \"could,\" or the negative of such\nterms or other variations or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements\nmay relate to, among other things: statements about the benefits of the\nproposed merger, including future financial and operating results; the\nparties' respective plans, objectives, expectations and intentions; the\nexpected timing and likelihood of completion of the merger and related\ntransactions; the results of any strategic review; expected synergies of the\nproposed merger; the timing and result of various regulatory proceedings\nrelated to the proposed merger, and other general rate cases, filings for\ninfrastructure surcharges and other governmental agency authorizations and\nproceedings, and filings to address regulatory lag; the combined company's\nability to execute its current and long-term business, operational, capital\nexpenditures and growth plans and strategies; the amount, allocation and\ntiming of projected capital expenditures and related funding requirements; the\nfuture impacts of increased or increasing transaction and financing costs\nassociated with the proposed merger or otherwise, as well as inflation and\ninterest rates; each party's ability to finance current and projected\noperations, capital expenditure needs and growth initiatives by accessing the\ndebt and equity capital markets and sources of short-term liquidity; impacts\nof the proposed merger on the future settlement or settlements of a party's\nforward sale agreements, including potential adjustments to the forward sale\nprice or other economic terms thereunder, and the amount of and the intended\nuse of net proceeds from any such future settlement or settlements; the\noutcome and impact on other governmental and regulatory investigations; the\nfiling of class action lawsuits and other litigation and legal proceedings\nrelated to the proposed merger; the ability to complete, and the timing and\nefficacy of, the design, development, implementation and improvement of\ntechnology and other strategic initiatives; each party's ability to comply\nwith new and changing environmental regulations; regulatory, legislative, tax\npolicy or legal developments; and impacts that future significant tax\nlegislation may have on each such party and on its business, results of\noperations, cash flows and liquidity.\n\nThese forward-looking statements are predictions based on currently available\ninformation, the parties' current respective expectations and assumptions\nregarding future events that American Water Works Company, Inc. (\"American\nWater\") and Essential Utilities, Inc. (\"Essential Utilities\") believe to be\nreasonable. They are not, however, guarantees or assurances of any outcomes,\nperformance or achievements, and readers are cautioned not to place undue\nreliance upon them. You should not regard any forward-looking statement as a\nrepresentation or warranty by American Water, Essential Utilities or any other\nperson that the expectation, plan or objective expressed in such\nforward-looking statement will be successfully achieved in any specified time\nframe, or at all. The forward-looking statements are subject to a number of\nestimates and assumptions, and known and unknown risks, uncertainties and\nother factors. Actual results may differ materially from those discussed in\nthe forward-looking statements included in this communication as a result of\nthe factors discussed in American Water's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the\nyear ended December 31, 2025, as filed with the Securities and Exchange\nCommission (the \"SEC\") on February 18, 2026 (available at: ir.amwater.com),\nEssential Utilities' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December\n31, 2025, as filed with the SEC on February 26, 2026 (available at:\nessential.co), and each party's other filings with the SEC, and additional\nrisks and uncertainties, including with respect to (1) the parties' ability to\nconsummate the proposed merger pursuant to the terms of the definitive merger\nagreement or at all; (2) each party's requirement to obtain required\ngovernmental and regulatory approvals required for the proposed merger (and/or\nthat such approvals may result in the imposition of burdensome or commercially\nundesirable conditions, including required dispositions, that could adversely\naffect the combined company or the expected benefits of the proposed merger);\n(3) an event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the\ntermination of the merger agreement; (4) the failure to satisfy or waive a\ncondition to closing of the proposed merger on a timely basis or at all; (5) a\ndelay in the timing to consummate the proposed merger; (6) the failure to\nintegrate the parties' businesses successfully; (7) the failure to fully\nrealize benefits, efficiencies and cost savings from the proposed merger or\nthat such benefits, efficiencies and cost savings may take longer to realize\nor be more costly to achieve than expected; (8) negative or adverse impacts of\nthe announcement of the proposed merger on the market price of American\nWater's or Essential Utilities' common stock; (9) the risk of litigation,\nlegal proceedings or other challenges related to the proposed merger; (10)\ndisruption from the proposed merger making it more difficult to maintain\nrelationships with customers, employees, contractors, suppliers, regulators,\nvendors, elected officials, governmental agencies, or other stakeholders; (11)\nthe diversion of each party's management's time and attention from ongoing\nbusiness operations and opportunities of such party on merger-related matters;\n(12) the challenging macroeconomic environment, including disruptions in the\nwater and wastewater utility industries; (13) the ability of each party to\nmanage its respective existing operations and financing arrangements on\nfavorable terms or at all, including with respect to future capital\nexpenditures and investments, operations, and maintenance costs; (14) changes\nin environmental laws and regulations regarding each party's respective\noperations that may adversely impact such party's businesses or increase the\ncost of operations; (15) changes in each party's key management and personnel;\n(16) changes in tax laws that could adversely affect beneficial tax treatment\nof the proposed merger; (17) regulatory, legislative, local or municipal\nactions affecting the water and wastewater industries, which could adversely\naffect the parties' respective utility subsidiaries; and (18) other economic,\nbusiness and other factors, including inflation, interest rate fluctuations or\ntariffs. The foregoing factors should not be construed as exhaustive.\n\nThese forward-looking statements are qualified by, and should be read together\nwith, the risks and uncertainties set forth above and the risk factors\nincluded in American Water's and Essential Utilities' respective annual and\nquarterly reports as filed with the SEC and in the definitive joint proxy\nstatement/prospectus, as filed with the SEC on December 31, 2025 (available\nat:\nhttps://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1410636/000119312525337598/d15683d424b3.htm\n(https://edge.prnewswire.com/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=4792998-1&h=3941119629&u=https%3A%2F%2Furldefense.com%2Fv3%2F__https%3A%2Famwater.mangoapps.com%2Ftrack%2Fclick%2F1021%2F386890%3Fp%3DeyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3VybGRlZmVuc2UuY29tL3YzL19faHR0cHM6L2Ftd2F0ZXIubWFuZ29hcHBzLmNvbS90cmFjay9jbGljay84NTQvMzcyODkwP3A9ZXlKMWNtd2lPaUpvZEhSd2N6b3ZMM2QzZHk1elpXTXVaMjkyTDBGeVkyaHBkbVZ6TDJWa1oyRnlMMlJoZEdFdk1UUXhNRFl6Tmk4d01EQXhNVGt6TVRJMU1qVXpNemMxT1RndlpERTFOamd6WkRReU5HSXpMbWgwYlNKOV9fOyEhT0pFTnB0TFZ4VVNiM1Ezd0M0U001eC1aRDBrIW5qWVROMFZPaWd6MllrZHpKM0xqNG5MakQ3UU5KSWFUUG8tSkZXWHNkY1NhYzBxZHN4RGRXdW9LVi14VDltSEhqUDM3Wi04SmRqS3VHR203VnRNVVlBMzlMWlo4Mzc5cDNRJCJ9__%3B!!OJENptLVxUSb3Q3wC4SM5x-ZD0k!gBArDVRsUxeZcsWWGnJeSw2mwyS5mbg9Dgh_EqeWjoKjyM4zHGvtf6RaKYuCtSrewxpu_GJLkA_hMzStep7u6oyj3PSWqME%24&a=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sec.gov%2FArchives%2Fedgar%2Fdata%2F1410636%2F000119312525337598%2Fd15683d424b3.htm)\n), and readers should refer to such risks, uncertainties and risk factors in\nevaluating such forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements\nspeak only as of the date this communication is first used or given. Neither\nAmerican Water nor Essential Utilities has any obligation or intention to\nupdate or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new\ninformation, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise, except as\notherwise required by the federal securities laws. New factors emerge from\ntime to time, and it is not possible for American Water or Essential Utilities\nto predict all such factors. Furthermore, it may not be possible to assess the\nimpact of any such factor on American Water's or Essential Utilities'\nbusinesses, viewed independently or together, or the extent to which any\nfactor, or combination of factors, may cause results to differ materially from\nthose contained in any forward-looking statement.\n\nProposed Merger\nFor additional information regarding the proposed merger, please see American\nWater's registration statement on Form S-4 (Registration No. 333-292182),\nwhich was declared effective by the SEC on December 30, 2025, and the other\ndocuments that American Water or Essential Utilities has filed or may file\nwith the SEC.\n\nNo Offer or Solicitation\nThis communication is for informational purposes and is not intended to, and\nshall not, constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy\nany securities, nor shall there be any offer or sale of securities in any\njurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior\nto registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such\njurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a\nprospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of\n1933, as amended.\n\nAWK-IR\n\nWTRG-IR\n\n \n\nView original content to download\nmultimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/brad-nielsen-named-future-president-of-pennsylvania-american-water-302902891.html\n(https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/brad-nielsen-named-future-president-of-pennsylvania-american-water-302902891.html)\n\nSOURCE American Water\n\n\n\nAmerican Water Investor Contact: Aaron Musgrave, Vice President, Investor Relations, (856) 955-4029, aaron.musgrave@amwater.com; American Water Media Contact: Maureen Duffy, Executive Vice President, Communications and External Affairs, (856) 955-4163, mediainquiries@amwater.com; Essential Investor Contact: Edward Vallejo, Director, Investor Relations, (267) 370-9717, EDVallejo@Essential.co; Essential Media Contact: David Kralle, Vice President of Public Affairs, (877) 325-3477, DMKralle@essential.co\n\nPhoto: \nhttps://mmx.prnewswire.com/media/MS1763826/American-Water-Logo.jpg?id=OA2995370\nhttps://mmx.prnewswire.com/media/MS1792636/EssentialUtilities-Logo-V1.jpg?id=OA2995371\n\nCopyright (c) 2026 PR Newswire Association,LLC. All Rights Reserved.","article_body_html":"","raw_payload":{"data":{"id":"nPn5tBqj2a-20261008","title":"Brad Nielsen Named Future President of Pennsylvania American Water","author":"PR Newswire","ticker":"AWK","created":"2026-10-08T20:10:00.431Z","tickers":["AWK","WTRG"],"exchange":"NYSE","article_body":"Brad Nielsen Named Future President of Pennsylvania American Water\nPR Newswire\n\nCAMDEN, N.J., Oct. 8, 2026\n\nCAMDEN, N.J., Oct. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- American Water (NYSE: AWK)\nannounced today that Brad Nielsen will become President of Pennsylvania\nAmerican Water upon the closing of American Water's proposed merger with\nEssential Utilities (NYSE: WTRG). Nielsen will lead all the operations within\nthe state of Pennsylvania and will report to Justin Ladner, who will serve as\nSenior Vice President, State Operations, for Pennsylvania, Missouri and\nIllinois.\n\n\"Brad is a proven leader with deep operational experience and a strong\ncommitment to our customers, employees and communities,\" said Cheryl Norton,\nExecutive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of American Water. \"His\ntrack record of leading high-performing teams and delivering safe, clean,\nreliable and affordable water service positions him well to lead Pennsylvania\nAmerican Water into its next chapter.\"\n\nNielsen currently serves as President of Iowa American Water, a position he\nhas held since July 2024. He joined Iowa American Water in 2019 as Vice\nPresident of Operations, leading a team of 80 employees who provide\nhigh-quality, reliable water service to approximately 225,000 people across\nIowa.\n\nNielsen brings more than 20 years of operations and leadership experience.\nBefore joining American Water, he spent 17 years with Aramark Uniform\nServices, where he held several leadership positions, including Vice President\nof Operations. He holds a bachelor's degree in finance and in business\nadministration and management from Mount Mercy University in Iowa.\n\nAmerican Water will begin the process of naming Nielsen's successor as\nPresident of Iowa American Water and will share additional information when\nthe selection is finalized.\n\nThe all-stock merger between American Water and Essential Utilities, announced\nOctober 27, 2025, will create a combined company serving more than 4.7 million\nwater and wastewater customer connections and more than 740,000 gas customer\nconnections. The combined company will operate under the American Water name\nand be headquartered in Camden, New Jersey.\n\nThe merger is expected to close by the end of the first quarter of 2027, but\nremains subject to customary closing conditions, including, among others,\nobtaining required regulatory approvals, including approval from the remaining\napplicable public utility commissions.\n\nFor additional details regarding the transaction, please visit\namericanwateressentialutilitiesmerger.com\n(https://edge.prnewswire.com/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=4792998-1&h=4055376267&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.americanwateressentialutilitiesmerger.com%2F&a=americanwateressentialutilitiesmerger.com)\n.\n\nAbout American Water\nAmerican Water (NYSE: AWK) is the largest regulated water and wastewater\nutility company in the United States. With a history dating back to 1886 and\ncelebrating 140 years in 2026, We Keep Life Flowing® by providing safe,\nclean, reliable and affordable drinking water and wastewater services to\napproximately 14 million people with regulated operations in 14 states and on\n19 military installations. American Water's approximately 7,000 talented\nprofessionals leverage their significant expertise and the company's national\nsize and scale to achieve excellent outcomes for the benefit of customers,\nemployees, investors and other stakeholders. For more information, visit\namwater.com and join American Water on LinkedIn, Facebook, X and Instagram.\n\nAbout Essential Utilities\nEssential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE: WTRG) delivers safe, clean, reliable services\nthat improve quality of life for individuals, families, and entire\ncommunities. With a focus on water, wastewater, and natural gas, Essential is\ncommitted to sustainable growth, operational excellence, a superior customer\nexperience, and premier employer status. We are advocates for the communities\nwe serve and are dedicated stewards of natural lands, protecting thousands of\nacres of forests and other habitats throughout our footprint.  Operating as\nthe Aqua and Peoples brands, Essential serves approximately 5.5 million people\nacross nine states. Essential is one of the most significant publicly traded\nwater, wastewater service and natural gas providers in the U.S. Learn more at\nwww.essential.co\n(https://edge.prnewswire.com/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=4792998-1&h=4125181279&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.essential.co%2F&a=www.essential.co)\n.\n\nCautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements\nCertain statements included in this communication are forward-looking\nstatements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as\namended, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and\nthe Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, these\nforward-looking statements can be identified by words with prospective\nmeanings such as \"intend,\" \"plan,\" \"estimate,\" \"believe,\" \"anticipate,\"\n\"expect,\" \"predict,\" \"project,\" \"propose,\" \"assume,\" \"forecast,\" \"outlook,\"\n\"future,\" \"likely,\" \"pending,\" \"goal,\" \"objective,\" \"potential,\" \"continue,\"\n\"seek to,\" \"may,\" \"can,\" \"will,\" \"should\" and \"could,\" or the negative of such\nterms or other variations or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements\nmay relate to, among other things: statements about the benefits of the\nproposed merger, including future financial and operating results; the\nparties' respective plans, objectives, expectations and intentions; the\nexpected timing and likelihood of completion of the merger and related\ntransactions; the results of any strategic review; expected synergies of the\nproposed merger; the timing and result of various regulatory proceedings\nrelated to the proposed merger, and other general rate cases, filings for\ninfrastructure surcharges and other governmental agency authorizations and\nproceedings, and filings to address regulatory lag; the combined company's\nability to execute its current and long-term business, operational, capital\nexpenditures and growth plans and strategies; the amount, allocation and\ntiming of projected capital expenditures and related funding requirements; the\nfuture impacts of increased or increasing transaction and financing costs\nassociated with the proposed merger or otherwise, as well as inflation and\ninterest rates; each party's ability to finance current and projected\noperations, capital expenditure needs and growth initiatives by accessing the\ndebt and equity capital markets and sources of short-term liquidity; impacts\nof the proposed merger on the future settlement or settlements of a party's\nforward sale agreements, including potential adjustments to the forward sale\nprice or other economic terms thereunder, and the amount of and the intended\nuse of net proceeds from any such future settlement or settlements; the\noutcome and impact on other governmental and regulatory investigations; the\nfiling of class action lawsuits and other litigation and legal proceedings\nrelated to the proposed merger; the ability to complete, and the timing and\nefficacy of, the design, development, implementation and improvement of\ntechnology and other strategic initiatives; each party's ability to comply\nwith new and changing environmental regulations; regulatory, legislative, tax\npolicy or legal developments; and impacts that future significant tax\nlegislation may have on each such party and on its business, results of\noperations, cash flows and liquidity.\n\nThese forward-looking statements are predictions based on currently available\ninformation, the parties' current respective expectations and assumptions\nregarding future events that American Water Works Company, Inc. (\"American\nWater\") and Essential Utilities, Inc. (\"Essential Utilities\") believe to be\nreasonable. They are not, however, guarantees or assurances of any outcomes,\nperformance or achievements, and readers are cautioned not to place undue\nreliance upon them. You should not regard any forward-looking statement as a\nrepresentation or warranty by American Water, Essential Utilities or any other\nperson that the expectation, plan or objective expressed in such\nforward-looking statement will be successfully achieved in any specified time\nframe, or at all. The forward-looking statements are subject to a number of\nestimates and assumptions, and known and unknown risks, uncertainties and\nother factors. Actual results may differ materially from those discussed in\nthe forward-looking statements included in this communication as a result of\nthe factors discussed in American Water's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the\nyear ended December 31, 2025, as filed with the Securities and Exchange\nCommission (the \"SEC\") on February 18, 2026 (available at: ir.amwater.com),\nEssential Utilities' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December\n31, 2025, as filed with the SEC on February 26, 2026 (available at:\nessential.co), and each party's other filings with the SEC, and additional\nrisks and uncertainties, including with respect to (1) the parties' ability to\nconsummate the proposed merger pursuant to the terms of the definitive merger\nagreement or at all; (2) each party's requirement to obtain required\ngovernmental and regulatory approvals required for the proposed merger (and/or\nthat such approvals may result in the imposition of burdensome or commercially\nundesirable conditions, including required dispositions, that could adversely\naffect the combined company or the expected benefits of the proposed merger);\n(3) an event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the\ntermination of the merger agreement; (4) the failure to satisfy or waive a\ncondition to closing of the proposed merger on a timely basis or at all; (5) a\ndelay in the timing to consummate the proposed merger; (6) the failure to\nintegrate the parties' businesses successfully; (7) the failure to fully\nrealize benefits, efficiencies and cost savings from the proposed merger or\nthat such benefits, efficiencies and cost savings may take longer to realize\nor be more costly to achieve than expected; (8) negative or adverse impacts of\nthe announcement of the proposed merger on the market price of American\nWater's or Essential Utilities' common stock; (9) the risk of litigation,\nlegal proceedings or other challenges related to the proposed merger; (10)\ndisruption from the proposed merger making it more difficult to maintain\nrelationships with customers, employees, contractors, suppliers, regulators,\nvendors, elected officials, governmental agencies, or other stakeholders; (11)\nthe diversion of each party's management's time and attention from ongoing\nbusiness operations and opportunities of such party on merger-related matters;\n(12) the challenging macroeconomic environment, including disruptions in the\nwater and wastewater utility industries; (13) the ability of each party to\nmanage its respective existing operations and financing arrangements on\nfavorable terms or at all, including with respect to future capital\nexpenditures and investments, operations, and maintenance costs; (14) changes\nin environmental laws and regulations regarding each party's respective\noperations that may adversely impact such party's businesses or increase the\ncost of operations; (15) changes in each party's key management and personnel;\n(16) changes in tax laws that could adversely affect beneficial tax treatment\nof the proposed merger; (17) regulatory, legislative, local or municipal\nactions affecting the water and wastewater industries, which could adversely\naffect the parties' respective utility subsidiaries; and (18) other economic,\nbusiness and other factors, including inflation, interest rate fluctuations or\ntariffs. The foregoing factors should not be construed as exhaustive.\n\nThese forward-looking statements are qualified by, and should be read together\nwith, the risks and uncertainties set forth above and the risk factors\nincluded in American Water's and Essential Utilities' respective annual and\nquarterly reports as filed with the SEC and in the definitive joint proxy\nstatement/prospectus, as filed with the SEC on December 31, 2025 (available\nat:\nhttps://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1410636/000119312525337598/d15683d424b3.htm\n(https://edge.prnewswire.com/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=4792998-1&h=3941119629&u=https%3A%2F%2Furldefense.com%2Fv3%2F__https%3A%2Famwater.mangoapps.com%2Ftrack%2Fclick%2F1021%2F386890%3Fp%3DeyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3VybGRlZmVuc2UuY29tL3YzL19faHR0cHM6L2Ftd2F0ZXIubWFuZ29hcHBzLmNvbS90cmFjay9jbGljay84NTQvMzcyODkwP3A9ZXlKMWNtd2lPaUpvZEhSd2N6b3ZMM2QzZHk1elpXTXVaMjkyTDBGeVkyaHBkbVZ6TDJWa1oyRnlMMlJoZEdFdk1UUXhNRFl6Tmk4d01EQXhNVGt6TVRJMU1qVXpNemMxT1RndlpERTFOamd6WkRReU5HSXpMbWgwYlNKOV9fOyEhT0pFTnB0TFZ4VVNiM1Ezd0M0U001eC1aRDBrIW5qWVROMFZPaWd6MllrZHpKM0xqNG5MakQ3UU5KSWFUUG8tSkZXWHNkY1NhYzBxZHN4RGRXdW9LVi14VDltSEhqUDM3Wi04SmRqS3VHR203VnRNVVlBMzlMWlo4Mzc5cDNRJCJ9__%3B!!OJENptLVxUSb3Q3wC4SM5x-ZD0k!gBArDVRsUxeZcsWWGnJeSw2mwyS5mbg9Dgh_EqeWjoKjyM4zHGvtf6RaKYuCtSrewxpu_GJLkA_hMzStep7u6oyj3PSWqME%24&a=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sec.gov%2FArchives%2Fedgar%2Fdata%2F1410636%2F000119312525337598%2Fd15683d424b3.htm)\n), and readers should refer to such risks, uncertainties and risk factors in\nevaluating such forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements\nspeak only as of the date this communication is first used or given. Neither\nAmerican Water nor Essential Utilities has any obligation or intention to\nupdate or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new\ninformation, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise, except as\notherwise required by the federal securities laws. New factors emerge from\ntime to time, and it is not possible for American Water or Essential Utilities\nto predict all such factors. Furthermore, it may not be possible to assess the\nimpact of any such factor on American Water's or Essential Utilities'\nbusinesses, viewed independently or together, or the extent to which any\nfactor, or combination of factors, may cause results to differ materially from\nthose contained in any forward-looking statement.\n\nProposed Merger\nFor additional information regarding the proposed merger, please see American\nWater's registration statement on Form S-4 (Registration No. 333-292182),\nwhich was declared effective by the SEC on December 30, 2025, and the other\ndocuments that American Water or Essential Utilities has filed or may file\nwith the SEC.\n\nNo Offer or Solicitation\nThis communication is for informational purposes and is not intended to, and\nshall not, constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy\nany securities, nor shall there be any offer or sale of securities in any\njurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior\nto registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such\njurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a\nprospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of\n1933, as amended.\n\nAWK-IR\n\nWTRG-IR\n\n \n\nView original content to download\nmultimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/brad-nielsen-named-future-president-of-pennsylvania-american-water-302902891.html\n(https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/brad-nielsen-named-future-president-of-pennsylvania-american-water-302902891.html)\n\nSOURCE American Water\n\n\n\nAmerican Water Investor Contact: Aaron Musgrave, Vice President, Investor Relations, (856) 955-4029, aaron.musgrave@amwater.com; American Water Media Contact: Maureen Duffy, Executive Vice President, Communications and External Affairs, (856) 955-4163, mediainquiries@amwater.com; Essential Investor Contact: Edward Vallejo, Director, Investor Relations, (267) 370-9717, EDVallejo@Essential.co; Essential Media Contact: David Kralle, Vice President of Public Affairs, (877) 325-3477, DMKralle@essential.co\n\nPhoto: \nhttps://mmx.prnewswire.com/media/MS1763826/American-Water-Logo.jpg?id=OA2995370\nhttps://mmx.prnewswire.com/media/MS1792636/EssentialUtilities-Logo-V1.jpg?id=OA2995371\n\nCopyright (c) 2026 PR Newswire Association,LLC. All Rights Reserved."},"type":"article","timestamp":"2026-10-08T20:10:00.476631396Z","server_sent_at_ms":1791490200476},"received_at":"2026-10-08T20:10:00.527Z","source_url":"https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/brad-nielsen-named-future-president-of-pennsylvania-american-water-302902891.html"},"analysis":{"id":"153243","press_release_id":"164840","analysis_json":{"industry":{"label":"Water Utilities","sector":"Utilities"},"redFlags":[],"eventType":"executive_change","narrative":"American Water named Brad Nielsen as future President of Pennsylvania American Water, effective upon closing of its proposed merger with Essential Utilities.\n\nNielsen currently leads Iowa American Water and brings more than 20 years of operations experience, including 17 years at Aramark. He will report to Justin Ladner, SVP of State Operations.\n\nThe all-stock AWK-WTRG merger is expected to close by the end of Q1 2027, pending remaining state regulatory approvals.","sentiment":"neutral","agentHooks":{"shouldPost":false,"suggestedAngle":"Merger integration leadership slate filling in ahead of expected Q1 2027 close."},"keyFigures":{"customDimensions":{"expected_merger_close":"end of Q1 2027","combined_gas_connections":"more than 740,000","combined_water_wastewater_connections":"more than 4.7 million"}},"quotedText":"Brad is a proven leader with deep operational experience and a strong commitment to our customers, employees and communities","namedEntities":{"people":[{"name":"Brad Nielsen","role":"Future President of Pennsylvania American Water; current President of Iowa American Water"},{"name":"Cheryl Norton","role":"Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of American Water"},{"name":"Justin Ladner","role":"Senior Vice President, State Operations (Pennsylvania, Missouri, Illinois)"}],"products":[],"companies":[{"name":"American Water","ticker":"AWK","relationship":"filer"},{"name":"Essential Utilities, Inc.","ticker":"WTRG","relationship":"merger partner"},{"name":"Pennsylvania American Water","relationship":"subsidiary"},{"name":"Iowa American Water","relationship":"subsidiary"},{"name":"Aramark Uniform Services","relationship":"Nielsen's prior employer"}],"dollarAmounts":[]},"materialImpact":{"score":1,"reasoning":"Announcement of a future state-subsidiary president contingent on merger closing; no CEO/CFO change at the filer level and no financial impact stated."},"tickerRelevance":{"others":[{"ticker":"WTRG","relevance":"merger partner"}],"primary":"AWK"},"globalImportance":15,"audienceRelevance":12,"eventTypeSecondary":[],"importanceComponents":{"tickerTier":"large-cap utility","eventGravity":"subsidiary-level executive appointment","issuerAuthored":true,"mergerContingent":true}},"event_type":"executive_change","event_type_secondary":null,"sentiment":"neutral","material_impact_score":1,"narrative":"American Water named Brad Nielsen as future President of Pennsylvania American Water, effective upon closing of its proposed merger with Essential Utilities.\n\nNielsen currently leads Iowa American Water and brings more than 20 years of operations experience, including 17 years at Aramark. He will report to Justin Ladner, SVP of State Operations.\n\nThe all-stock AWK-WTRG merger is expected to close by the end of Q1 2027, pending remaining state regulatory approvals.","key_figures":{"customDimensions":{"expected_merger_close":"end of Q1 2027","combined_gas_connections":"more than 740,000","combined_water_wastewater_connections":"more than 4.7 million"}},"named_entities":{"people":[{"name":"Brad Nielsen","role":"Future President of Pennsylvania American Water; current President of Iowa American Water"},{"name":"Cheryl Norton","role":"Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of American Water"},{"name":"Justin Ladner","role":"Senior Vice President, State Operations (Pennsylvania, Missouri, Illinois)"}],"products":[],"companies":[{"name":"American Water","ticker":"AWK","relationship":"filer"},{"name":"Essential Utilities, Inc.","ticker":"WTRG","relationship":"merger partner"},{"name":"Pennsylvania American Water","relationship":"subsidiary"},{"name":"Iowa American Water","relationship":"subsidiary"},{"name":"Aramark Uniform Services","relationship":"Nielsen's prior employer"}],"dollarAmounts":[]},"model_name":"glm-5.3-flashx","prompt_hash":"sha256:5c812bd9e28b810d","schema_hash":"sha256:05005c02d9cffac9","created_at":"2026-10-08T20:10:05.848Z","global_importance":15,"audience_relevance":12,"importance_components":{"tickerTier":"large-cap utility","eventGravity":"subsidiary-level executive appointment","issuerAuthored":true,"mergerContingent":true}},"durationMs":5190,"modelName":"glm-5.3-flashx"}}