Essential Utilities Thinks Globally and Acts Locally by Improving Communities During Month-Long 2026 Earth Day Celebration

Company Foundation and volunteers support environmental initiatives across 9-state footprint

BRYN MAWR, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Essential Utilities Inc. (NYSE: WTRG) successfully concluded its fifth annual Essential Earth Day campaign, a 30-day effort dedicated to environmental stewardship and community engagement. This year’s effort resulted in record-breaking achievements, reaffirming Essential’s commitment to protecting the environment and safeguarding natural resources.

• Donated nearly $1.3 million in grants supporting dozens of organizations working on environmental projects and STEM education
• Empowered more than 400 employees to volunteer 1,450 hours across nearly 40 volunteer events
• Provided employees with educational programs on sustainability and environmental health

“As stewards of our natural resources, we understand our tremendous responsibility to protect the environment for future generations,” said Essential Utilities Chairman and CEO Christopher Franklin. “This commitment is especially evident during our month-long Essential Earth Day campaign. Each year, I’m incredibly proud of our Essential Foundation’s environmental work, as well as my Essential colleagues who donate their time to make the communities we serve cleaner and greener.”

Employees throughout the company’s nine-state footprint participated in a variety of volunteer activities, including:

• Cleaning up almost 300 bags of litter and other debris from alongside rivers, trails and roadways
• Removing invasive weeds and planting close to 3,500 native trees and wildflowers to improve habitat and beautify public spaces
• Removing harmful growth from a berm that protects the Ohio River Basin from the spread of invasive carp
• Hosting a collection drive and sorting event to keep clothing out of landfills and provide for families in need
• Recycling 300 pounds of electronics from an e-waste collection event

These volunteer efforts from Essential employees are crucial in supporting local environmental organizations and our communities at large. The Essential Earth Day initiative weaves multi-faceted support for our environmental partners, often year after year, to boost their impact. The Chester-Ridley-Crum Watersheds Association is one such partner working to tackle issues like protecting waterways that provide drinking water for Aqua customers in southeast Pennsylvania.

“We cannot express enough how much we appreciate Essential’s constant engagement and support,” said Carly Lare, Executive Director of the Chester-Ridley-Crum Watersheds Association. “The Essential Foundation's financial support allows us to create meaningful solutions in our communities, and Essential’s volunteers have shared their expertise to make real change possible.”

Partners like Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy are dedicated to restoring and enhancing Pittsburgh’s city parks, green spaces the community relies on for relaxation, recreation, health, and well-being. As the Conservancy celebrates 30 years of their park systems, funding from the Essential Foundation will help to expand educational programming, invest in park improvement projects, and strengthen climate resiliency across the city's parks.

“We’re incredibly grateful to Peoples Natural Gas and the Essential Foundation for their continued partnership and belief in our parks,” said Catherine Qureshi, President and CEO of the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy. “Every day, we see how these spaces bring people together­—families, neighbors, and visitors­—finding connection, joy, and lasting moments outdoors. Support like this helps ensure Pittsburgh’s parks remain welcoming, vibrant places that serve our communities now and well into the future.”

Think Globally, Act Locally—Make Earth Day Every Day

Essential Earth Day is part of the company’s comprehensive commitment to the environment and the communities it serves. Since the initiative launched in 2022, Essential has donated more than $4.2 million and more than 2,200 employees have participated in nearly 200 events, logging more than 7,900 hours to support environmental causes, including litter cleanups, reforestation projects and other conservation efforts. The company remains dedicated to providing high-quality water, reliable natural gas service, and fostering a sustainable future for generations to come.

Essential’s commitment to philanthropy and the environment recently resulted in the company’s recognition as one of America’s Most Charitable Companies by Newsweek.

About Essential Utilities

Essential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE:WTRG) delivers safe, 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, having donated more than $4 million from the Essential Foundation each year, and are dedicated stewards of natural lands, protecting thousands of acres of forests and other habitats throughout our footprint.

Operating as the Aqua and Peoples brands, Essential serves approximately 5.5 million people across 9 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.