Aqua North Carolina, Inc. (Aqua) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Essential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE: WTRG), which is a regulated, investor‑owned water and wastewater utility.  Aqua provides drinking water and wastewater services to more than 750 communities located in 51 counties across North Carolina.  

Aqua is subject to economic regulation by the NCUC and environmental compliance is overseen by the NC Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 

Once the NCUC approves Aqua as the TOA, Aqua will operate your water system in accordance with all federal and state regulatory guidelines.  

Once the NCUC order approving Aqua as the TOA has been issued, Aqua will immediately start day-to-day operations to improve service reliability in your community. Specifically, Aqua will be responsible for all water system operations, compliance, billing, collections, and will handle all customer service needs. 

You can expect a few changes in the short term:  

• First, you can call our Aqua Customer Service Center—available 24/7/365—with any of your customer service needs. The Aqua Customer Service telephone number is 877.987.2782. You can also find an online form at the bottom of this page, and a Customer Service Representative will contact you within 24 hours.
• Your account information will automatically be transferred to Aqua and we will begin to bill for your utility service monthly. You should expect to receive your first bill from Aqua in June. Payments for prior bills from Prior Construction should be paid directly to Prior Construction. Aqua will share more information about rates and methods to pay your bill once the NCUC has issued the order establishing the new rates for your system.  

Aqua is committed to improving water quality and reliability. We will start moving forward with water quality testing as well as designing and permitting infrastructure improvements needed to bring your community’s utility system into compliance with federal and state regulations. 

Aqua anticipates that it will invest over $650,000 to make necessary improvements in your community’s water system over the next three years, including new equipment at existing sites, water main and service replacements, filter system upgrades, new meters (RF) and remote monitoring.   

You will not see a change in rates while Aqua serves as the TOA. The NCUC has approved interim water rates that match Prior Construction’s current rates, which were established by an order issued December 9, 2016 (Docket Nos. W-567, Sub 7, and M-100, Sub 138).

Aqua is working with Prior Construction to obtain customer information to start your account. Once this information has been received, Aqua will send a welcome pamphlet to you with your customer number and account information prior to receiving your first bill. Once you have received your account information, we recommend that you sign up to manage your account with Aqua’s ePortal and receive WaterSmart Alerts.  

Immediately after Aqua becomes the TOA you will be able to view current water service disruptions or water outages on our Disruption Map by zooming into your location or by entering your address in the search bar found at the top left of the screen.    

No, Aqua does not become the owner of the Deerfield Park water system as part of the TOA approval process. Aqua has filed a separate application with the NCUC to apply for a certificate of public convenience and necessity to become the owner and operator of the Deerfield Park water system, which is a separate and distinct proceeding.

Yes. The NCUC issued an order that automatically activates water use restrictions for regulated water utilities like Aqua when drought conditions reach certain thresholds. These restrictions are tied to drought classifications established by the North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council (DMAC) (e.g., Moderate, Severe, Extreme, Exceptional). When a drought level is declared in a county or service area, customers served by Aqua North Carolina must comply with the applicable restrictions. Customers can find out more about Mandatory Drought Restrictions here. 

You may contact Aqua with questions regarding your service.  You may also find information on service issues by checking our Disruption Map, which can be found at https://www.aquawater.com by clicking the Disruption Map link in the top right corner or by using this direct link https://qrco.de/bel1IG.