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).

Aqua was named the EO on May 8, 2026. Aqua will operate your water system in accordance with all federal and state regulatory guidelines.

The NCUC order approving Aqua as the EO 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 KRJ should be paid directly to KRJ.
• NCUC has issued the order establishing the following new rates for your system.:
  • Water   
    • Monthly Base Facility Charge: $16.76 <1” meter   
    • Volumetric Charge: $6.95 per 1,000 gallons   

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 nearly $2 million dollars 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.   

Aqua will manage and operate the Southern Trace water system in accordance with the rates approved by the NCUC.  A notice to customers of the approved rates will be sent immediately following the NCUC order approving Aqua as the EO.

Aqua is working with KRJ 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 EO 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 Southern Trace water system as part of the EO 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 Southern Trace 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.

Please call Aqua Customer Service, available 24/7/365, at 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. 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. 

Before Aqua became EO of your water system, KRJ received violations related to monitoring and water quality samples that did not meet state and federal drinking water regulations. Public notices related to those prior results will be sent to the community soon. These notices reflect sampling and monitoring activity before Aqua became EO. 

Since becoming EO, Aqua has completed sampling required by state and federal drinking water regulations. Some results are still pending. Aqua will continue to sample the water quality in your system and will notify customers if any water quality issues arise. 

Aqua shares annual water quality information with customers through Water Quality Reports, also called Consumer Confidence Reports. Your community’s report can be found at https://aquawater.com/WaterQualityReports. Your Public Water System ID (PWSID) is NC4392141. 

Data shared in the current water quality report for your system is from 2025, as it shows data from samples taken by KRJ, Inc. prior to Aqua North Carolina becoming the EO for your water and wastewater system.  

Since becoming EO, Aqua has made repairs to the system and completed water quality sampling. Based on results received to date, samples are meeting state and federal drinking water regulations. 

Sampling from 2026 will appear in next year’s Water Quality Report published by July 1, 2027.  

If you have specific questions about water quality in your community, please call 1.877.987.2782. A Lab Service Order can be started for you, and a Compliance Specialist will return your call to help answer your questions.