Essential Utilities WTRG Proceeds From Insurance Settlement Operating Activities

A number of the Company’s subsidiaries are parties to several lawsuits against manufacturers of certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or compounds (“PFAS”) for damages, contribution and reimbursement of costs incurred and continuing to be incurred to address the presence of such PFAS in public water supply systems owned and operated by these utility subsidiaries throughout its service area. One such suit to which the Company is a party is a multi-district litigation (the “MDL”) lawsuit which commenced on December 7, 2018, in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina. Several defendants in such lawsuit have agreed to settle. In 2024, the MDL court granted approval of the DuPont, 3M, Tyco Fire Products LP, and BASF Corp class action settlements. The total amount of recovery by the Company is uncertain. In 2025, the Company received a total of $46,166, representing a portion of its share of the settlement reached with 3M and DuPont, net of legal fees and settlement costs. During the three months ended March 31, 2026, the Company received an additional $252 from DuPont. As of March 31, 2026, the Company presented $9,972 of the proceeds allocated to its North Carolina and Virginia water and wastewater subsidiaries as a regulatory liability, pursuant to regulatory orders issued by the public utility commissions from such states regarding the treatment of PFAS settlement costs. The remaining proceeds received that were allocated to the Company’s other water and wastewater subsidiaries totaling $36,446 were recorded within Deferred credits and other non-current liabilities in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets, pending recommendation or order from the respective public utility commissions on treatment of the amounts. These cash proceeds are presented within Other in the cash flows from operating activities in the accompanying condensed consolidated statement of cash flows. In April 2026, the Company received a portion of the Tyco settlement, net of legal fees and settlement costs, amounting to $7,260. The Company anticipates receiving additional settlement payments from the MDL lawsuit defendants over the next ten years.