WaterBriefs: Aqua America closes on four acquisitions in three states

In other news below:
-- Aqua America earns Pa. 'Green Power' award
-- Aqua America chairman suggests regulators analyze financial investors of water utilities
-- Walter Industries names CFO of water products business
-- FuelCell Energy partner commissions Europe's first WWTP to operate on sewage gas
-- Watts Water Technologies acquires tubing, valve companies
-- Calgon Carbon's Pearl River Plant resumes operation
-- GreenFuel Technologies honored for energy competitiveness
-- Mexico governor funds environmental contract to SSWM subsidiary
-- Pure H20 Bio-Technologies files patent application for Crypto disinfectant
-- Amiad Filtration Systems announces intention to float
-- Rocky Mountain Brands bottled water growth continues
-- Zenon's position further strengthened by recent court ruling
-- USFilter defeats all infringement claims at trial court
-- Wall Street Journal honors ObjectVideo with technology award
-- Nature Conservancy, Army Corps of Engineers partner for NE waterways
-- Phoenix, Army Corps of Engineers commended for Rio Salado habitat restoration
-- Connecticut Water secures management contract for UConn water systems
-- Weston awarded Army Corps of Engineers remedial action contract
-- Pa. investing in future with $65 million in environmental grants
-- PetroChina adopts environmental, crisis management software from ESS
-- IEVM to deploy EcaFlo equipment in Hurricane Katrina cleanup
-- Builders League demands NJDEP make plans for long-term water supply
-- Cytec completes expansion for mining chemicals product line

Aqua America closes on four acquisitions in three states
BRYN MAWR, PA, Nov. 8, 2005 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Aqua America Inc. subsidiaries recently purchased four water systems in three states -- Illinois, North Carolina and Pennsylvania -- to further expand its national footprint. The combined purchase price for the systems is approximately $550,000.

Aqua Illinois purchased the water system assets of the Village of Philo in Champaign County, representing another municipal acquisition for Aqua America. It is the company's second municipal acquisiton in Illinois in the past two years, following its purchase of the Grant Park water system serving 1,500 residents. The Philo system supplies water to approximately 1,300 residents. The Illinois Commerce Commission approved the acquisition after extensive review.

Aqua Illinois plans to invest in a new water tank to provide much-needed storage capacity, replace aging and undersized pipe, and install new services in the Philo community. These capital improvements are estimated at more than $1.2 million over the rest of the decade.

"We're pleased to add Philo to our regional network as a result of meaningful discussions with municipal officials going back to 2002," said Aqua America Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Nicholas DeBenedictis. "We're able to efficiently tuck the Philo system into our existing operations in Vermilion County, Illinois, to capture economies of scale and control costs, while providing customers with quality, reliable service."

In addition, Aqua Pennsylvania, Inc. purchased the water systems assets of the Garbush Water Company, serving approximately 250 residents in Jackson Township, Luzerne County.

In North Carolina, Aqua subsidiaries acquired the water system assets of the Northwoods residential development near Chapel Hill, Orange County, serving approximately 250 residents, and the water system assets of Community Water Works in Statesville, Iredell County, serving approximately 250 residents in the Lincoln Estates and River Hill Heights subdivisions. Aqua North Carolina plans to invest nearly $130,000 in the Community Water Works systems for new water main and meters, in addition to a well station, a storage tank and connection to the Iredell County water system.

These purchases are in addition to the company's acquisition of 24 water and wastewater systems through the first three quarters of 2005. "The newest acquisitions are further evidence of the steady momentum behind our growth-through-acquisition strategy," said DeBenedictis. "They also offer more opportunity to grow earnings through achieving a regulated return on the capital investments we'll make to improve and properly maintain these systems."

Aqua America Inc. (www.aquaamerica.com) is the largest U.S.-based publicly-traded water utility, serving more than 2.5 million residents in Pennsylvania, Ohio, North Carolina, Illinois, Texas, Florida, New Jersey, Indiana, Virginia, Maine, Missouri, New York, and South Carolina.

For more company news:
-- "Aqua America earns 'Green Power' award"
-- "Aqua America chairman suggests regulators closely analyze financial investors as owners of water utility systems"

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Among other recent headlines:
• Walter Industries names CFO of water products business -- TAMPA, FL, Nov. 8, 2005 -- Walter Industries Inc. announced that Senior Vice President and Controller Jeffery W. Sprick has been named chief financial officer of Mueller Water Products and Mueller Group, Walter Industries' subsidiaries that include its Mueller, U.S. Pipe and Anvil businesses. He is expected to continue as CFO after Walter Industries completes the previously announced IPO and spin-off of that business. William F. Ohrt, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Walter Industries, will assume Sprick's responsibilities at Walter Industries until a successor is named. Tom Fish, who previously served as interim CFO of Mueller Water Products, will return to his role as president of Mueller's Piping Systems segment...

• FuelCell Energy partner commissions Europe's first high temperature fuel cell wastewater treatment power plant to operate on sewage gas -- FuelCell Energy's technology generating electricity for wastewater plant and grid distribution; heat byproduct used in sewage treatment and to warm buildings -- DANBURY, CT, Nov. 7, 2005 -- FuelCell Energy Inc., a leading manufacturer of efficient, ultra-clean power generation plants for commercial and industrial customers, announced that its European partner MTU CFC Solutions GmbH, a unit of DaimlerChrysler, and RWE Fuel Cells have commissioned a power plant incorporating FuelCell Energy's technology to run a municipal wastewater treatment facility in northeastern Germany. Plans for the 250-kilowatt facility, first disclosed last year, called for installation of MTU's HotModule^® power plant. This system combines FCE's efficient and low-emission Direct Fuel Cell^® (DFC^®) stacks with MTU's balance of plant design that it manufactures for the European market. Situated at the Municipal Wastewater Treatment Works in Ahlen, Germany, it is the first fuel cell in Europe to operate on anaerobic digester gas...

• Watts Water Technologies acquires Flexflow Tubing LLP -- NORTH ANDOVER, MA, Nov. 7, 2005 -- Watts Water Technologies Inc. announced today that its Canadian subsidiary, Watts Industries (Canada) Inc., has acquired Flexflow Tubing LLP, of Langley, British Columbia, Canada, in an asset purchase transaction...
-- In other company news: "Watts Water Technologies to acquire China's Changsha Valve Works"

• Calgon Carbon's Pearl River Plant resumes operation -- PITTSBURGH, Nov. 7, 2005 -- Calgon Carbon Corp.'s Pearl River plant in Pearlington, Miss., resumed production of granular activated carbon on Nov. 4. The plant had been idled since the mandatory evacuation order in advance of Hurricane Katrina on Aug. 28, 2005. The storm surge from Hurricane Katrina partially submerged the plant. Although damage to major processing equipment was not extensive, electrical components critical to the operation of the plant required replacement...

• GreenFuel Technologies honored for energy competitiveness -- CAMBRIDGE, MA, Nov. 7, 2005 -- GreenFuel Technologies Corp., a privately held company providing emissions-to-biofuels™ conversion services to power plants and industrial facilities, today announced it has been selected for recognition by the American Society of Competitiveness (ASC) at its 2005 awards ceremony, taking place Falls Church, Va., on Nov. 10. GreenFuel is to receive an ASC Medallion "for Energy Competitiveness through Innovative Technology and Environmental Leadership in Emerging Global Markets"...

• Mexico governor funds environmental contract to SSWM subsidiary -- Assessment contracts key to meeting goal of $10-25M in business in Mexico -- CARLSBAD, CA, Nov. 7, 2005 -- Sub-Surface Waste Management of Delaware Inc. (SSWM), announced that Gov. Mario Marin Torres of the state of Puebla, Mexico, has allocated an initial budget of approximately US$365,000 to conduct a comprehensive environmental site assessment of the bulk storage terminal of Pemex -- Petroleos Mexicanos, the state-owned oil company -- properties in the city of Puebla. This project contract was awarded to SSWM Mexico subsidiary company Environmental Tec International S.A. de C.V. (ETI), based in Mexico City...

• Pure H20 Bio-Technologies files new U.S. patent application for tetrasilvertetraoxide as disinfectant agent for Cryptosporidium -- BOCA RATON, FL, Nov. 7, 2005 -- Pure H20 Bio-Technologies Inc. has filed a new Provisional Patent Application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office in Washington, D.C., for tetrasilvertetraoxide (TTO) as a disinfectant agent for Cryptosporidium. The company engaged Clancy Environmental Consultants Inc. (CEC), of St. Albans, Vt., to perform disinfection studies utilizing TTO as an alternate disinfection technology. Previous tests on TTO were performed by CEC concluded TTO, used as a disinfectant, is a superior product that out performs halogens in the process of killing Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts...

• Amiad Filtration Systems announces intention to float -- LONDON, Nov. 7, 2005 -- Amiad, a producer and global supplier of water filters and filtration systems for the industrial & municipal and the irrigation markets announced its intention to float on AIM -- an Alternative Investment Market for online trading associated with the London Stock Exchange. Amiad specializes in the development of automatic self cleaning filtration systems that require low maintenance and can be adapted to provide bespoke solutions to a wide range of applications, including in the steel, power, oil and gas, pulp and paper, and irrigation industries. The directors believe Amiad is well placed to benefit from the rising demand for cleaner water due to greater water quality regulation, ever growing population and continued industrialization...

• Rocky Mountain Brands notes continued growth in U.S. bottled water consumption -- DILLON, MT, Nov. 4, 2005 -- Rocky Mountain Brands Inc. is pleased to note the continued growth in the U.S. consumption of bottled water according to Beverage Marketing Corp. Rocky Mountain Brands recently announced 213% growth in its third quarter sales of bottled water -- which emerged as the second largest U.S. commercial beverage category by volume in 2003...

• Zenon's position further strengthened by recent court ruling -- OAKVILLE, ON, Canada, Nov. 3, 2005 -- The legal battle between Zenon and USFilter continues as the Canadian company announced another favorable court ruling. On Oct. 31, the court rejected several of USFilter's arguments for summary judgment. The two companies have mutually agreed to dismiss their cases relating to the '319 patent, allowing both sides to appeal the court's earlier rulings. This paves the way for Zenon to continue its infringement case against USFilter based on its '652 patent following the '319 appeal. This ruling, combined with the May 2005 ruling where the court also ruled in Zenon's favor, has strengthened Zenon's position for an eventual injunction against certain USFilter products. The conflict originated in October 2003, when Zenon initiated a patent infringement lawsuit against USFilter seeking damages and an injunction to stop the sale, manufacture and use of certain of immersed membrane products...

-- In related news: USFilter defeats all Zenon infringement claims at trial court -- In a letter to customers, the company states: "We are pleased to inform you that all of Zenon's original patent infringement claims have now been defeated or voluntarily dismissed at the trial court level. No USFilter product, service, or activity has been found to infringe any of Zenon's patents, despite statements by the membrane manufacturer Zenon, of Oakville, Ontario, Canada"...

• Northwest Pipe, Lone Star Steel announce strategic marketing alliance -- ATCHISON, KS, & DALLAS, Nov. 3, 2005 -- Northwest Pipe Co. and Lone Star Steel Co., a subsidiary of Lone Star Technologies Inc., have entered into a strategic marketing alliance under which Lone Star Steel will be the exclusive marketing representative for Northwest Pipe's API Products in North America...

• Wall Street Journal names ObjectVideo winner of Technology Innovation Award -- Award comes on heels of recognition by analyst groups IMS Research and Frost & Sullivan -- RESTON, VA, Nov. 3, 2005 -- ObjectVideo, a leader in intelligent video for security surveillance, announced it has won The Wall Street Journal's Technology Innovation Award in the Security (Facilities) industry category. The global awards recognize technological breakthroughs by individuals, companies and organizations in areas including medicine, software, hardware, the Internet, wireless and broadcasting. In addition to general security, the highly sophisticated surveillance solutions are well-placed for protection of the nation's critical infrastructure, including water and wastewater utilities...

• Nature Conservancy, Army Corps of Engineers partner to improve management of NE waterways -- Lake Champlain, Vermont's West River prioritized in regional agreement -- BURLINGTON, VT, Nov. 3, 2005 -- The Nature Conservancy's Eastern Region and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers North Atlantic Division signed an agreement today which brings together the combined strength and expertise of the two organizations under the shared goal of improving sustainable management of water resources and riparian habitats in the northeastern United States. Under the partnership, The Nature Conservancy and the Army Corps of Engineers will work together to implement new and innovative techniques and strategies, sharing scientific, conservation and engineering expertise to provide vital human services while protecting the rich and diverse ecosystems of the northeast...

• CH2M Hill commends Phoenix, Army Corps of Engineers for completing Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Project -- DENVER, Nov. 2, 2005 -- CH2M Hill, a global full service engineering, construction, and operations firm, salutes the city of Phoenix and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for their critical part in the success of the $100,000,000 Rio Salado Environmental Habitat Restoration Project. The project, nearly 40 years in the making, restores nearly five miles of native wetlands and riparian habitats located in the City of Phoenix between 19th Avenue and 24th Street. In partnership with Phoenix and USACE, CH2M Hill along with several local design and planning firms, was contracted in October 2001 to produce the overall project plan and construction documents for the project...

• Connecticut Water secures management contract to operate UConn water systems -- STORRS, CT, Nov. 2, 2005 -- Connecticut Water Service Inc. announced that its subsidiary, New England Water Utility Services, has reached an agreement with the University of Connecticut to provide an on-site project manager to direct the day-to-day operation and management of the school's water systems at the Storrs campus. The agreement became effective Nov. 1...

• Weston awarded New England District Corps of Engineers remedial action contract worth up to $60 million -- WEST CHESTER, PA, Nov. 2, 2005 -- Weston Solutions Inc. has won the award of a Remedial Action Contract (RAC) by the New England District Army Corps of Engineers with a total gross value of up to $60 million. The contract will be effective for a base period of one year with four one-year options. Remedial actions may include containment, removal, treatment, transportation and disposal. Contaminants may include hazardous, toxic, radioactive, petroleum-based, and explosive constituents in various environments including soils, sediments, sludges, liquids, air, water, debris, structures, and containers...

• Pa. Governor says state investing in future with $65 million in environmental grants -- 140 critical projects in 50 counties first to receive funding -- HARRISBURG, PA, Nov. 2, 2005 -- Gov. Edward G. Rendell said Pennsylvania is taking aggressive steps to clean up its rivers and streams, improve parks, revitalize abandoned industrial sites and protect open space and preserve farmland. The Governor announced an investment of $65 million in environmental projects that will help scores of Pennsylvania communities. Additionally, he said all 67 counties will now be able to apply for $90 million, allocated on a county-by-county basis, for eligible environmental projects. Nearly a quarter of the grants will be used to clean up the state's rivers and streams...

• PetroChina adopts environmental, crisis management software from U.S. firm ESS -- $2.3 million implementation of Essential Suite represents landmark for compliance, risk reduction in People's Republic of China -- TEMPE, AZ, Nov. 2, 2005 -- PetroChina Co. Ltd., the largest oil and gas producer in the People's Republic of China, has awarded a contract to ESS, an environmental, health & safety (EH&S) and crisis management company, for the first enterprise-wide compliance and crisis software implementation of its kind in the country, officials from both organizations announced today. Under the agreement, Essential Suite™, the fully integrated, browser-based solution by ESS, will be used in 41 regional branches, each with between two and 10 factories throughout China....

• Integrated Environmental Technologies to deploy EcaFlo equipment in Hurricane Katrina cleanup -- LITTLE RIVER, SC, Nov. 1, 2005 -- Integrated Environmental Technologies Ltd. is preparing to provide EcaFlo™ equipment as a bacterial management mobile response unit for use in cleanup and environmental remediation in New Orleans. The company previously provided a similar device to Water Systems Integrators to be used as a component of an integrated system in conjunction with providing drinking water for Hurricane Katrina victims. IEVM's equipment produces environmentally responsible biocides that are capable of being used in water treatment and remediation applications for bacteria control and surface applications for mold, fungi and other pathogens...

• Builders League demands NJDEP make plans for long-term water supply -- CHERRY HILL, NJ, Nov. 1, 2005 -- While over 20 tropical storms have deluged the Atlantic Coast this season, New Jersey is still in a drought watch. Despite the recent weather that brought flooding statewide, the region is in a period of below normal rainfall, which could lead to a drought by next summer. What concerns the Builders League of South Jersey is the failure on the part of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to proactively plan for the state's long-term water supply. The last drought, which ended after three years in 2002, should have been a wake-up call to state administration officials that planning was necessary to ensure that the state's growing population had an adequate supply of water...

• Cytec completes expansion for mining chemicals product line -- WEST PATERSON, NJ, Oct. 31, 2005 -- Cytec Industries Inc. has completed expansion of its plant in Mount Pleasant, Tenn., to increase production capacity for metal extractant products that are of critical importance to the copper mining industry. The facility, which employs about 145 people, produces a variety of specialty chemicals, including metal extractant products used in copper mining. The expansion will allow the plant to increase its output of these products by approximately 50%...

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In earlier newsbriefs, see: WaterBriefs: MBRs growing fast in changing world water market -- Also in this report (Nov. 7, 2005): Contech acquires Armortec; Teledyne Isco to buy MGD Technologies; George Fischer solves Crown City Plating flowmeter problem; AquaShield picked by Hong Kong; AMTA/SCDA technology transfer workshop set for Corpus Christi; Aurora Water selects Arber Associates for Colo. wastewater project; Rain Bird announces 2006 Intelligent Use of Water Scholarship; WEF, utilities, Black & Veatch to assess Gulf Coast wastewater system damage; GSA contract awarded to PureTech Systems' surveillance solution; ASCE preliminary report on New Orleans levee system done; Water Advocates commends House for passing Water for the Poor Act; Horticultural specialist joins Chemilizer; EVTN gets new contract in oil production market; AWWA honored for fighting MTBE exemption; Siemens announces management changes, new products at USFilter...

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