Rate and Regulatory Matters	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2025
Rate and Regulatory Matters [Abstract]
Rate and Regulatory Matters	Note 2 – Rate and Regulatory Matters Middlesex – In May 2025, Middlesex and its Pinelands wholly owned subsidiaries filed a joint petition with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) seeking permission for consolidation between the three entities by a corporate reorganization intended to combine the joint petitioning entities into Middlesex. The combination is expected to provide efficiency and benefits to our customers in various areas. In June 2025, Middlesex and Pinelands filed a joint petition with the NJBPU to request an increase in annual base revenues by approximately $24.9 million or 19.3%. The request will allow Middlesex and Pinelands recovery of prudently-incurred investments made to meet water and wastewater quality and environmental regulations and to continue to provide safe and reliable water and wastewater service to its customers. Under New Jersey statute, the NJPBU must render a decision within nine months of filing a base rate change petition. If a decision is not rendered within nine months, Middlesex can implement interim rates up to the full amount of the requested increase. In July 2025, Middlesex and Pinelands submitted a joint petition with the NJBPU seeking approval of a Resiliency and Environmental System Improvement Charge (RESIC) Foundational Filing for the recovery of certain costs of investments for the three-year period ending October 2028 related to compliance with requirements to address existing and emerging chemical elements or compound, installation of new plant or equipment or replacement of existing plant or equipment to further, maintain, enhance, or improve resiliency, health, safety or environmental protection for Middlesex and Pinelands’ customers, employees or the public and addressing treatment media and related equipment for both existing and emerging chemical elements and compounds. Under the RESIC program, Middlesex and Pinelands submit semi-annual surcharge filings to the NJBPU for qualifying capital investments completed every six-months to be recovered up to $3.8 million or 2.5% of total annual revenues included in their June 2025 base rate increase request. In July 2025, Middlesex and Pinelands Water filed a joint petition with the NJBPU seeking approval of a Distribution System Improvement Charge (DSIC) Foundational Filing to recover investments in qualifying capital improvements to their water distribution system for the three-year period ending October 2028. Under the DSIC program, Middlesex and Pinelands Water submit semi-annual surcharge filings to the NJBPU for qualifying capital investments completed every six-months to be recovered up to $7.6 million or 5% of total annual revenues included in their June 2025 base rate increase request. In May 2025, the NJBPU approved a Middlesex DSIC rate, effective June 1, 2025, that is expected to result in $1.1 million of annual revenues starting June 2025, which is in addition to the existing $1.1 million of annual revenues from previous DSIC filings. Middlesex expects to file for an additional DISC rate increase in October 2025. In February 2025, the NJBPU approved Middlesex’s petition to reset its Purchased Water Adjustment Clause (PWAC) tariff rate to recover additional annual costs of $0.5 million, primarily for the purchase of treated water from a non-affiliated water utility regulated by the NJBPU. A PWAC is a rate mechanism that allows for the recovery of increased purchased water costs between base rate case filings. The PWAC is reset to zero once those increased costs are included in base rates. The new PWAC rate became effective March 1, 2025. The NJBPU-approved Middlesex Lead Service Line Replacement (LSLR) Plan continues and Middlesex is currently recovering costs of $0.6 million for replacing customer-owned lead service lines incurred between July 2024 through December 2024, which will be recovered from March 2025 through August 2025. Costs of $0.3 million incurred between January 2025 through June 2025 are expected to be recovered between September 2025 and February 2026. The LSLR surcharge is required to be reset every six months over the life of the LSLR Plan. Cost recovery for replacing Company-owned lead service lines are recoverable through traditional rate making in connection with general rate case filings. Tidewater – In July 2025, the Delaware Public Service Commission (DEPSC) approved the settlement agreement in our general base rate application between Tidewater, DEPSC Staff and the Delaware Division of the Public Advocate, with new rates effective July 3, 2025. The DEPSC order approved an increase in our annual operating revenues by $5.5 million based on an authorized return on common equity of 9.5% and a common equity ratio of 53.50%. In addition, Tidewater will refund approximately $1.1 million of excess deferred income taxes associated with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 between July 2025 and December 2025, including $0.6 million of interest. In September 2024, the DEPSC approved Tidewater’s petition to recover up to $2.1 million of costs associated with Tidewater’s obligation to identify and inventory lead service lines throughout Tidewater’s service area, as required by federal law and Delaware regulations. Recovery of these costs began February 1, 2025 and is expected to continue through January 2028. Through June 30, 2025, Tidewater has spent $1.8 million to identify and inventory lead service lines. Southern Shores – Southern Shores provides water service to a 2,200 unit condominium community in Sussex County, Delaware under a DEPSC-approved agreement expiring December 31, 2029. Under the agreement, rates are increased when there are unanticipated capital expenditures or regulatory related changes in operating expenses exceed certain thresholds. In 2024, capital expenditures did exceed the established threshold. In addition, rates are increased annually by the lesser of the regional Consumer Price Index or 3%. Effective January 1, 2025, Southern Shores rates were increased $0.1 million or 6.51%.

Rate and Regulatory Matters

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2025

Rate and Regulatory Matters [Abstract]

Note 2 – Rate and Regulatory Matters

Middlesex – In May 2025, Middlesex and its Pinelands wholly owned subsidiaries filed a joint petition with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) seeking permission for consolidation between the three entities by a corporate reorganization intended to combine the joint petitioning entities into Middlesex. The combination is expected to provide efficiency and benefits to our customers in various areas.

In June 2025, Middlesex and Pinelands filed a joint petition with the NJBPU to request an increase in annual base revenues by approximately $24.9 million or 19.3%. The request will allow Middlesex and Pinelands recovery of prudently-incurred investments made to meet water and wastewater quality and environmental regulations and to continue to provide safe and reliable water and wastewater service to its customers. Under New Jersey statute, the NJPBU must render a decision within nine months of filing a base rate change petition. If a decision is not rendered within nine months, Middlesex can implement interim rates up to the full amount of the requested increase.

In July 2025, Middlesex and Pinelands submitted a joint petition with the NJBPU seeking approval of a Resiliency and Environmental System Improvement Charge (RESIC) Foundational Filing for the recovery of certain costs of investments for the three-year period ending October 2028 related to compliance with requirements to address existing and emerging chemical elements or compound, installation of new plant or equipment or replacement of existing plant or equipment to further, maintain, enhance, or improve resiliency, health, safety or environmental protection for Middlesex and Pinelands’ customers, employees or the public and addressing treatment media and related equipment for both existing and emerging chemical elements and compounds. Under the RESIC program, Middlesex and Pinelands submit semi-annual surcharge filings to the NJBPU for qualifying capital investments completed every six-months to be recovered up to $3.8 million or 2.5% of total annual revenues included in their June 2025 base rate increase request.

In July 2025, Middlesex and Pinelands Water filed a joint petition with the NJBPU seeking approval of a Distribution System Improvement Charge (DSIC) Foundational Filing to recover investments in qualifying capital improvements to their water distribution system for the three-year period ending October 2028. Under the DSIC program, Middlesex and Pinelands Water submit semi-annual surcharge filings to the NJBPU for qualifying capital investments completed every six-months to be recovered up to $7.6 million or 5% of total annual revenues included in their June 2025 base rate increase request.

In May 2025, the NJBPU approved a Middlesex DSIC rate, effective June 1, 2025, that is expected to result in $1.1 million of annual revenues starting June 2025, which is in addition to the existing $1.1 million of annual revenues from previous DSIC filings. Middlesex expects to file for an additional DISC rate increase in October 2025.

In February 2025, the NJBPU approved Middlesex’s petition to reset its Purchased Water Adjustment Clause (PWAC) tariff rate to recover additional annual costs of $0.5 million, primarily for the purchase of treated water from a non-affiliated water utility regulated by the NJBPU. A PWAC is a rate mechanism that allows for the recovery of increased purchased water costs between base rate case filings. The PWAC is reset to zero once those increased costs are included in base rates. The new PWAC rate became effective March 1, 2025.

The NJBPU-approved Middlesex Lead Service Line Replacement (LSLR) Plan continues and Middlesex is currently recovering costs of $0.6 million for replacing customer-owned lead service lines incurred between July 2024 through December 2024, which will be recovered from March 2025 through August 2025. Costs of $0.3 million incurred between January 2025 through June 2025 are expected to be recovered between September 2025 and February 2026. The LSLR surcharge is required to be reset every six months over the life of the LSLR Plan. Cost recovery for replacing Company-owned lead service lines are recoverable through traditional rate making in connection with general rate case filings.

Tidewater – In July 2025, the Delaware Public Service Commission (DEPSC) approved the settlement agreement in our general base rate application between Tidewater, DEPSC Staff and the Delaware Division of the Public Advocate, with new rates effective July 3, 2025. The DEPSC order approved an increase in our annual operating revenues by $5.5 million based on an authorized return on common equity of 9.5% and a common equity ratio of 53.50%. In addition, Tidewater will refund approximately $1.1 million of excess deferred income taxes associated with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 between July 2025 and December 2025, including $0.6 million of interest.

In September 2024, the DEPSC approved Tidewater’s petition to recover up to $2.1 million of costs associated with Tidewater’s obligation to identify and inventory lead service lines throughout Tidewater’s service area, as required by federal law and Delaware regulations. Recovery of these costs began February 1, 2025 and is expected to continue through January 2028. Through June 30, 2025, Tidewater has spent $1.8 million to identify and inventory lead service lines.

Southern Shores – Southern Shores provides water service to a 2,200 unit condominium community in Sussex County, Delaware under a DEPSC-approved agreement expiring December 31, 2029. Under the agreement, rates are increased when there are unanticipated capital expenditures or regulatory related changes in operating expenses exceed certain thresholds. In 2024, capital expenditures did exceed the established threshold. In addition, rates are increased annually by the lesser of the regional Consumer Price Index or 3%. Effective January 1, 2025, Southern Shores rates were increased $0.1 million or 6.51%.