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Commitments and Contingent Liabilities | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2019
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
Commitments and Contingent Liabilities | Note 4 - Commitments and Contingent Liabilities Water Supply - Middlesex has an agreement with the New Jersey Water Supply Authority (NJWSA) for the purchase of untreated water through November 30, 2023, which provides for an average purchase of 27.0 million gallons a day (mgd). Pricing is set annually by the NJWSA through a public rate making process. The agreement has provisions for additional pricing in the event Middlesex overdrafts or exceeds certain monthly and annual thresholds. Middlesex also has an agreement with a non-affiliated water utility regulated by the NJBPU for the purchase of treated water. This agreement, which expires February 27, 2021, provides for the minimum purchase of 3.0 mgd of treated water with provisions for additional purchases. Tidewater contracts with the City of Dover, Delaware to purchase treated water of 15.0 million gallons annually. 50 Index Purchased water costs are shown below:
|  | (Millions of Dollars) |
|  | Years Ended December 31, |
|  | 2019 |  |  | 2018 |  |  | 2017 |
Untreated |  | $ | 3.4 |  |  | $ | 3.6 |  |  | $ | 2.8 |
Treated |  |  | 3.2 |  |  |  | 3.2 |  |  |  | 3.3 |
Total Costs |  | $ | 6.6 |  |  | $ | 6.8 |  |  | $ | 6.1 |
Guarantees - As part of an agreement with the County of Monmouth, New Jersey (County), Middlesex serves as guarantor of the performance of Applied Water Management, Inc. (AWM), an unaffiliated wastewater treatment contractor, to operate a County-owned leachate pretreatment facility at the Monmouth County Reclamation Center in Tinton Falls, New Jersey. The performance guaranty is effective through 2029 unless another guarantor, acceptable to the County, replaces Middlesex before such date. Under agreements with AWM and Natural Systems Utilities, LLC (NSU), the parent company of AWM, Middlesex earns a fee for providing the performance guaranty. In addition, Middlesex may provide operational support to the facility, as needed, and AWM and NSU, serving as guarantor to Middlesex with respect to the performance of AWM, agree to indemnify Middlesex against any claims that may arise under the Middlesex guaranty to the County. If requested to perform under the guaranty to the County and, if AWM and NSU, as guarantor to Middlesex, do not fulfill their obligations to indemnify Middlesex against any claims that may arise under the Middlesex guaranty to the County, Middlesex would be required to fulfill the remaining operational commitment of AWM. The liability and asset for the guaranty are included in Other Non-Current Liabilities and Other Non-Current Assets on the balance sheet and are approximately $1.4 million and $1.5 million as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. In November 2019, Middlesex was first notified that the County terminated its Agreement with AWM. AWM has filed a lawsuit against the County in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Monmouth County that in part contests the County’s exercise of this termination. Middlesex is examining the current status of its performance guaranty in light of these developments and continues to monitor this litigation for its implications on the future need to continue with the guaranty. Leases - The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at inception. Generally, a lease agreement exists if the Company determines that the arrangement gives the Company control over the use of an identified asset and obtains substantially all of the benefits from the identified asset. The Company has entered into an operating lease of office space for administrative purposes, expiring in 2030. The Company has not entered into any finance leases. The exercise of a lease renewal option for the Company’s administrative offices is solely at the discretion of the Company. The right-of-use (ROU) asset recorded represents the Company’s right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liability represents the Company’s obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Lease ROU assets and liabilities are recognized at commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. The Company’s operating lease does not provide an implicit discount rate and as such the Company used an estimated incremental borrowing rate (4.03%) based on the information available at commencement date in determining the present value of lease payments. Given the impacts of accounting for regulated operations, and the resulting recognition of expense at the amounts recovered in customer rates, expenditures for operating leases are consistent with lease expense and was $0.7 million, $0.5 million and $0.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. 51 Index Information related to operating lease ROU assets and lease liabilities is as follows:
|  | (In Millions) |
|  | December 31, 2019 |
ROU Asset at Least Inception |  | $ | 7.3 |
Accumulated Amortization |  |  | (1.4 | )
Current ROU Asset |  | $ | 5.9 |
The Company’s future minimum operating lease commitments as of December 31, 2019 are as follows:
|  | (In Millions) |
|  | December 31, 2019 |
2020 |  |  | 0.8 |
2021 |  |  | 0.8 |
2022 |  |  | 0.8 |
2023 |  |  | 0.8 |
2024 |  |  | 0.8 |
Thereafter |  |  | 4.4 |
Total Lease Payments |  | $ | 8.4 |
Imputed Interest |  |  | (2.0 | )
Present Value of Lease Payments |  |  | 6.4 |
Less Current Portion* |  |  | (0.7 | )
Non-Current Lease Liability |  | $ | 5.7 |
* Included in Other Current Liabilities
Construction –The Company has projected to spend approximately $124 million in 2020, $112 million in 2021 and $59 million in 2022 on its construction program. The Company has entered into several contractual construction agreements that in total obligate it to expend an estimated $63 million in the future. The actual amount and timing of capital expenditures is dependent on the need for replacement of existing infrastructure, customer growth, residential new home construction and sales, project scheduling and continued refinement of project scope and costs. There is no assurance that projected customer growth and residential new home construction and sales will occur. Contingencies – Based on our operations in the heavily-regulated water and wastewater industries, the Company is routinely involved in disputes, claims, lawsuits and other regulatory and legal matters, including responsibility for fines and penalties relative to regulatory compliance. At this time, Management does not believe the final resolution of any such matters, whether asserted or unasserted, will have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows. In addition, the Company maintains business insurance coverage that may mitigate the effect of any current or future loss contingencies. Change in Control Agreements – The Company has Change in Control Agreements with its executive officers that provide compensation and benefits in the event of termination of employment in connection with a change in control of the Company.

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